What Is the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
The Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse (下村家住宅辰巳蔵, Shimomura-ke Jūtaku Tatsumigura) is a former rice store from the final years of the Edo period in Daigo Rakuho-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, a two-storey earthen storehouse with a tiled roof, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 28, 2011.
With a building area of just 16 square meters, it is the smallest of the four buildings at the Shimomura Family Residence. It stands in the tatsumi, or southeast, corner of the lot, diagonally across the property from the Inui Storehouse in the northwest corner. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to between 1830 and 1868.
A Trapezoid Built to Fit the Lot
The shape of the plan is what sets the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse apart. It is 3.6 meters deep, but its length is 4.7 meters on the north side and only 4 meters on the south, so the floor is a trapezoid rather than a rectangle. The agency attributes this to the shape of the site.
Storehouses are normally square-cornered. Making one side about 70 centimeters shorter than the other was most likely a way to run the walls along the lot boundary and fill the corner completely. The awkward geometry of the plot is preserved in the building itself.
Traditional Framing, Heavy Tiles and Full Boarding
The roof is carried on a wagoya frame of horizontal tie beams and short posts, and it is a simple gable (Kirizuma-zukuri) laid in Hongawarabuki, the older and heavier method of alternating flat and round tiles. Compare the Inui Storehouse on the same property, which has climbing beams and a floating roof of lighter pantiles: the two stores differ in both roof frame and tiling.
The outer walls are clad in vertical boards, Tateita-bari, all the way up to the Hachimaki, the thick plastered band just under the eaves. Where the Inui Storehouse shows white plaster above a boarded skirt, the Shimomura Tatsumi Storehouse is sheathed almost entirely in wood. The agency credits it with contributing to the look of the temple town at the foot of Daigo-ji. It was registered under number 26-0391 on the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Visiting the Tatsumi Storehouse
The Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse is privately owned and is not open to visitors. Its roof frame and trapezoidal plan cannot be checked from outside.
The storehouse sits in the southeast corner, at the back of the property as seen from the Daigo-michi road that the main house faces. Please look only from public roads and do not enter the property.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse
- [ Kinkakuji Fushimi Inari & Kimono Rental ]
Q&A
- What does "tatsumi" mean in the name of the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
- Tatsumi (辰巳) is a traditional name for southeast, taken from the Dragon and Snake of the zodiac compass. The storehouse stands in the southeast corner of the lot.
- What was the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse used for?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a former rice storehouse. It dates from the final years of the Edo period (1830 to 1868).
- Why is the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse trapezoidal?
- Its plan follows the shape of the site. It is 3.6 meters deep, with a length of 4.7 meters on the north side and 4 meters on the south.
- When did the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On October 28, 2011, under registration number 26-0391, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can visitors see the Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
- It is privately owned and not open to the public. It stands at the back of the lot, so it is hard to see from the Daigo-michi side.
Basic Information
| Name | Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse (下村家住宅辰巳蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 53 Daigo Rakuho-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 26-0391 |
| Year Designated | Registered on October 28, 2011 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 3.6 meters deep, 4.7 meters long (north side) and 4 meters long (south side), building area 16 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Shimomura Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009049
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Fushimi Ward (Kyoto City Cultural Properties Protection Section, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/bunshi/page/0000006003.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28
