What Is the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
The Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse (旧冨田家住宅内蔵, Kyū Tomita-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a 2-storey reinforced concrete storehouse built in the early Showa period (1926 to 1945) in the northwest corner of the Tomita timber merchants' plot in Ōaza Sakurai, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 24, 2021. It has a tiled roof and a building area of 19 square meters.
Registered as number 29-0322 for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, and renovated in 2018, the Inner Storehouse is described by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as holding one corner of the grounds' scenery. As the word uchigura, inner storehouse, suggests, it stands deep in the property, on the side of the reception rooms.
Concrete Dressed as an Earthen Storehouse
The Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse is built of reinforced concrete, yet its exterior imitates a traditional Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse. The walls are coated in Shikkui lime plaster right up to the thickened Hachimaki band under the eaves, and the gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof is laid with Hongawarabuki round-and-flat tiles.
A window opens on the east side, and even the little hood above it is plastered over. The builders seem to have chosen fire-resistant concrete for the structure while matching the look of the old-style storehouse that suits a house of tatami rooms and a tea room. The Tomita Inner Storehouse shows how a new structural system and an old appearance were reconciled in an early Showa home.
Two Floors Reached from the Inner Room
The entrance of the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse is on the south side and connects directly with the corridor of the Inner Room. Inside, each of the two floors is a single room with plank floors and walls lined with vertical boards.
The inn Kura no Yado Ōrintei says it converted the storehouse at the back of its Seifū unit into a bedroom, entered through a heavy iron door and surrounded by hinoki cypress boards, and one photo caption on its site labels the ground floor of the Seifū storehouse as a library. Its location and its link to the Inner Room match the Agency's description, so this storehouse appears to be the Inner Storehouse.
Visiting the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse is part of an inn unit, so its interior appears to be open only to overnight guests, and no arrangement for drop-in visits was found.
Tucked into the northwest corner, the Inner Storehouse may not be visible from the public road; this has not been confirmed. If you stay, take in the white plastered walls and tiled roof from outside first, then step through the iron door into the board-lined room within.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- It dates from the early Showa period (1926 to 1945), was renovated in 2018 and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 24, 2021.
- How is the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- It is a 2-storey reinforced concrete building finished to look like an earthen storehouse, plastered up to the band under the eaves, with a gabled roof of round-and-flat tiles.
- What is inside the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- Each floor is a single room with plank floors and vertical board walls. The entrance on the south side connects to the Inner Room's corridor.
- How is the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse used today?
- It appears to be the storehouse that the inn Kura no Yado Ōrintei converted into the bedroom of its Seifū unit.
- Can I visit the Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It is part of an inn unit, so the interior appears to be open only to overnight guests. No information about drop-in visits was found.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Tomita Family Residence Inner Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 262-2 Sakurai, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered June 24, 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey reinforced concrete building, tiled roof, building area 19 sq m |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Part of a guest unit of the inn Kura no Yado Ourintei; interior for overnight guests |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 旧冨田家住宅内蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013868
- Cultural Heritage Online: 旧冨田家住宅内蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/583056
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: List of properties recommended for registration, March 19, 2021 (PDF)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/pdf/92882201_03.pdf
- Kura no Yado Ourintei: Seifu
- https://sakurai-sakuramachi.com/ourintei/plan/seifuu/
Last verified: 2026.10.02
