The Oldest Building on the Property
The Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse (藤岡家住宅内蔵, Fujioka-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a plastered storehouse built in 1797 in Konnaicho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006. It is the oldest structure in the compound, 35 years older than the Main House of 1832.
It stands south of the Main House: a two-storey dozo storehouse with thick earthen walls, a gabled roof (kirizuma) running east to west, and heavy hongawara tiles. The building area is 78 square metres. A massive door opens on the north side, where a small vestibule links the storehouse to the Main House. On the west a dressing room is added under a single-pitch pantile roof.
An uchigura, or inner storehouse, is not a freestanding barn in the yard but a store reached directly from the house. It held what a family could least afford to lose: valuables, account books, trade goods.
Carp on the Gable
The Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse was registered as a model of architectural form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the east gable facing the street, with a small window under its own canopy and, high in each upper corner, a carp modelled in lime plaster relief (Kote-e). It describes the work as careful throughout.
The house managers explain the fish as a charm against fire. A creature of the water was set on the wall to keep the flames away. The heavy tiled roof and thick earthen walls were the practical defence; the carp added a wish on top.
Inside, thick pine beams span the storehouse. Some walls were adapted for display when the house opened, but the beam work and the doors still carry the weight of an eighteenth-century store.
A Gallery of Literary Papers
The upper floor of the Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse now serves as a gallery for works and letters by writers who knew the haiku poet Fujioka Gyokkotsu, a son of the house, among them Yosano Akiko. Displays rotate with the seasons, so what you see depends on when you come.
Downstairs, old household tools are gathered, and these can be handled. Gyokkotsu also wrote a haiku about a cat that knew where to find the coolness in front of the storehouse door, a small clue that this passage between house and store was a well-loved corner of daily life.
Visiting the Inner Storehouse
The interior is open on opening days of the Fujioka Family Residence. The stairs to the upper gallery are steep.
Look for the carp from outside, in the street to the east. Raise your eyes to the gable and check the two upper corners just below the roof. Morning sun falls on the east face and picks out the white outlines of the fish.
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Q&A
- When was the Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- In 1797, making it the oldest surviving building in the Fujioka compound. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006.
- Where are the carp reliefs on the Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- High on the east gable facing the street, one at each upper corner. You can see them by looking up from the street outside.
- Can I go inside the Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- Yes, on opening days of the house museum. The upper floor displays literary papers and the ground floor household tools. The stairs are steep.
- Why was the Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse registered?
- As a model of architectural form. The heavy tiled storehouse, the canopied window on the street gable and the plaster carp were judged examples of careful construction.
- Can I take photos inside the Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- Photography is allowed for non-commercial purposes. The collection belongs to the Fujioka family, so pictures taken for sale are not permitted, and during events visitors are asked not to capture other guests.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse (藤岡家住宅内蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 526 Konnaicho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0098; criterion: model of architectural form |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/03/02 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey plastered storehouse, gabled roof, hongawara tiles, building area 78 square metres |
| Owner | Private (Fujioka family); managed by NPO Uchinono Yakata |
| Public Access | Interior open on Fujioka Family Residence opening days (admission charged; closed Mondays) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs — Fujioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005339
- Gojo City — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Gojo
- https://www.city.gojo.lg.jp/soshiki/kankoshinko/5_1/5/2110.html
- Nara Prefecture official tourism site (Aoniyoshi Naratabi Net) — Fujioka Family Residence
- https://yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/03history/02old_house/04south_area/fujiokake/
- Ee Koto Nara (Nanto Bank) — Fujioka Family Residence open to the public
- https://www.nantokanko.jp/osusume/5875.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
