Tondaya Front Storehouse

A Meiji Storehouse on the Corner

Tondaya Front Storehouse (冨田屋表蔵, Tondaya Omotegura) is an early Meiji fireproof earthen storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) in the Nishijin district of Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on 23 August 1999. Single-storey, clay-walled and tile-roofed, with a building area of 35 square metres, it stands beside the Tondaya main house on Omiya-dori and is the only storehouse on the property that shows its walls to the street.

It occupies the corner of the lot, so it turns two faces to the road at once: the gable end, where the triangle of the roof shows, and the long side under the eaves. Kyoto townhouse storehouses usually stand toward the back of the lot, as the middle and treasure storehouses do at Tondaya. Here the corner site brought one forward.

Registered for the Streetscape

Of the five registered buildings at Tondaya, the Tondaya Front Storehouse alone was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape; the other four were registered as models of architectural form. The recognition is for how it stands on the street rather than for anything inside.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its corner position makes it a local landmark. Walking along Omiya-dori, you see the row of townhouse fronts end at its wall, which forms the street corner.

Blank Walls and a Single-Board Skirt

There is no door on either street side of the Tondaya Front Storehouse. The openings face inward, and the public sees only wall. That also makes sense for fire and security, and because both corner faces are closed, the walls read from outside as unbroken surfaces.

The other detail to look for is the lower wall. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the wall below waist height is dressed with single wide boards. Rendered wall above, timber below. Skirting boards of this kind generally protect the part of a clay wall most exposed to rain and splashing mud; here they also give the storehouse its distinctive face.

Inside, the storehouse is now used as a living room rather than for storage.

Seeing the Front Storehouse

The exterior of the Tondaya Front Storehouse can be seen from Omiya-dori at any time. Because it stands on a corner, approaching from the two directions lets you see both the gable end and the long side. The grain of the boarded skirt is clearer from a few steps away than from across the road.

The interior is in use as a room, and it is not a fixed part of the reserved townhouse tour; ask when booking if you hope to see it. The building is part of a working home, so keep doorways clear when looking from outside. Booking and directions are covered on the Tondaya page.