What Is the Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse?
The Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse (下村家住宅戌亥蔵, Shimomura-ke Jūtaku Inuigura) is a late Edo-period earthen storehouse in Daigo Rakuho-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, built in the Dozo-zukuri manner on two storeys with a tiled roof, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 28, 2011.
As its name says, the storehouse stands in the inui, or northwest, corner of the lot, and a covered passage joins it to the main house. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, between 1751 and 1830, the same range given for the main house. Along with the main house, the Inui Storehouse is placed earliest of the four buildings at the Shimomura Family Residence. It covers a building area of 32 square meters.
A 5.9-Meter Store with an Entrance Porch
The storehouse measures 5.9 meters along the ridge and 3.9 meters across. On its east face it has a Kuramae, a roofed porch built in front of a storehouse door to keep rain off the heavy doors and to give room for loading and unloading. In the northwest corner of the lot, that east face turns inward, away from the corner and toward the rest of the property.
The covered passage to the main house matters too. Earthen storehouses often stand apart from the living quarters, but here the Inui Storehouse is linked to the house under a roof.
Rising Beams and a Floating Roof
The roof frame uses noboribari, beams that climb diagonally from the eaves toward the ridge and leave generous headroom on the upper floor. The roof itself is an Okiyane covered in pantiles. In this type the roof is built as a separate frame and set on top of the plastered earthen body, leaving a gap between the two. The gap lets heat escape, and it is said that in a fire the roof could burn away while the store below survived.
The walls are finished in white lime plaster, with a high skirt of vertical boarding, Tateita-bari, around the lower part to shield the earth walls from rain splash. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises the Shimomura Inui Storehouse as a building that conveys the traditional layout of an old family estate well. It was registered under number 26-0390 on the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Visiting the Inui Storehouse
The Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse is privately owned, and its interior is not open to visitors. The roof frame and the entrance porch cannot be seen from outside.
The storehouse stands in the northwest corner, on the same side of the lot as the Daigo-michi road that the main house faces. Please view it only from the public road and do not enter the property.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse
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Q&A
- What does "inui" mean in the name of the Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse?
- Inui (戌亥) is a traditional name for northwest, taken from the Dog and Boar of the zodiac compass. The storehouse stands in the northwest corner of the lot.
- When was the Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period (1751 to 1830). No exact construction year is known.
- How large is the Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse, and how is it built?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse measuring 5.9 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 32 square meters. The roof frame uses climbing beams, and the pantiled roof is set on the body as a separate floating roof.
- When did the Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On October 28, 2011, under registration number 26-0390, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can visitors go inside the Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned and not open to the public. It can only be viewed from outside, on the Daigo-michi side.
Basic Information
| Name | Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse (下村家住宅戌亥蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 53 Daigo Rakuho-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 26-0390 |
| Year Designated | Registered on October 28, 2011 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 5.9 meters by 3.9 meters, building area 32 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Shimomura Family Residence Inui Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009048
- 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
