A Storehouse Built with the 1935 Extension
Tondaya Treasure Storehouse (冨田屋宝蔵, Tondaya Hozo) is a fireproof earthen storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) built in 1935 in the Nishijin district of Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on 23 August 1999. Clay-walled and tile-roofed, it has 2 storeys and a building area of 26 square metres, and it is the deepest of the three storehouses at Tondaya.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it went up at almost the same moment in 1935 that the Tondaya lot was extended westward. It adjoins the annex, built in the same expansion, along the annex's north side, and stands next to the middle storehouse. In Kyoto City's description of the house, you reach the treasure storehouse after the main house, a formal garden, the middle storehouse and another garden.
Why a Showa Storehouse Matters
The Tondaya Treasure Storehouse was registered as a model of architectural form. Although it dates from the Showa era, the Agency for Cultural Affairs regards it as essential to understanding how the households of upper-class Meiji merchants were laid out.
The reason is its placement. Like the middle storehouse, the treasure storehouse has its entrance on the east face, so the two storehouses turn their doors the same way. A storehouse added in 1935 lines up its door with a Meiji one, and the pattern of gardens and storehouses alternating back from the main house continues all the way to it. That continuity appears to be what the Agency had in mind when it tied this building to the Meiji layout.
The Shop Name Inside the Door
The door is the thing to see. On its inner face is a decoration showing the family's shop name, and above the doorway the characters for hozo, treasure storehouse, are written. Kyoto City chose this door as one of the photographs illustrating its profile of Tondaya.
A storehouse door is thick, and its inner face shows only when it stands open. The shop name is placed where it would be seen not by people in the street but by members of the household opening the storehouse.
Seeing the Treasure Storehouse
The Tondaya Treasure Storehouse is deep inside the property and cannot be seen from the street. It appears as a scene on the official VR map, where the scenes run from the main house along the red pine corridor to the storehouse. To see it in person, join the guided townhouse tour included in Tondaya's reserved experience programs.
The decoration is on the inner face of the door, so it can be seen only when the door is open; follow the guide on whether the door and interior are shown. Socks are required indoors. Booking and directions are covered on the Tondaya page.
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Q&A
- When was Tondaya Treasure Storehouse built?
- In 1935, at almost the same time as the Tondaya lot was extended westward.
- What should I look for at Tondaya Treasure Storehouse?
- The door. A decoration showing the family's shop name is set on its inner face, and the word hozo, treasure storehouse, is written above the doorway.
- Can I visit Tondaya Treasure Storehouse?
- Yes, as part of the guided townhouse tour included in Tondaya's reserved experience programs. It also appears on the official VR map. It cannot be seen from the street.
- How is Tondaya Treasure Storehouse read, and how big is it?
- 冨田屋宝蔵 is read Tondaya Hozo. It is a 2-storey earthen storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 26 square metres, standing on the north side of the annex next to the middle storehouse.
- Why is Tondaya Treasure Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 23 August 1999 as a model of architectural form. With its entrance on the east face like the middle storehouse, it is considered essential to understanding the layout of an upper-class merchant household.
Basic Information
| Name | Tondaya Treasure Storehouse (冨田屋宝蔵, Tondaya Hozo) |
|---|---|
| Location | 697 Ishiyakushi-cho, Omiya-dori Motoseiganji-sagaru 2-chome, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, and adjoining lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/8/23 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 26 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Seen on the guided tour included in reserved experience programs; not visible from the street |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tondaya Treasure Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001285
- Kyoto City: Landscape Important Buildings, Tondaya (Nishijin Kurashi no Bijutsukan)
- https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/tokei/cmsfiles/contents/0000305/305675/k04tondaya.pdf
- Tondaya panoramic VR map (linked from the official site)
- https://www.artr.jp/VRMap/TagengoPJ/Tondaya/
Last verified: 2026.09.24
