What Is the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse?
The Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse (榎原家住宅旧米蔵, Ebara-ke Jūtaku Kyū Komegura) is a single-storey rice store built around 1890 in Toyotsu-cho, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 9 June 2004. It occupies the south-east corner of the Ebara estate, adjoining the southern end of the gatehouse on the east street.
It is a Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled building under a pantiled roof, with a building area of 23 square metres and a single undivided room inside. Of the three registered storehouses on the estate, it is the only one with a single storey.
Why the Former Rice Storehouse Was Registered
The Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as small and plainly built, yet indispensable to the front of the estate.
Seen from the street, the Ebara front runs from south to north: rice storehouse, gate, east storehouse. The low rice store closes the southern end, turning the corner and finishing the line of roofs that begins at the gate. Without it the front would simply stop short on one side.
What to Look For
The rice store sits on a low base of dressed stone. The west storehouse, at the opposite corner of the estate, stands on a tall one, and the contrast is easy to see once you know to look for it.
There is no moulded cornice under the eaves. Instead, both the eave soffits and the verges, the edges of the roof where it oversails the gable walls, are sealed in Shikkui lime plaster. Wrapping the timber in plaster rather than leaving it exposed was the storehouse builder's way of guarding the contents against fire and damp.
High on the south wall is a single small window, set above eye level in the usual storehouse manner: enough for air, too small and high for easy entry. On the plain white wall it is the one detail that catches the eye.
Visiting the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse
The Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse belongs to a private home. Its interior is closed and the grounds cannot be entered.
It stands along the east street at the south end of the gatehouse, so its exterior is visible from the public road. Standing a little south of the gate and looking at the corner shows best how the low storehouse and the gate roof meet.
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Q&A
- When was the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse built?
- The national database dates it to around 1890. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 9 June 2004.
- Where is the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse on the estate?
- At the south-east corner, adjoining the southern end of the gatehouse on the east street.
- What kind of building is the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse?
- A single-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a pantiled roof and a building area of 23 square metres, with one undivided room inside.
- Why is the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse a registered cultural property?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Small as it is, it completes the street front of the estate together with the gatehouse and the east storehouse.
- Can I see the Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse from outside?
- Yes, its exterior is visible from the east street. The interior and grounds are not open.
Basic Information
| Name | Ebara Family Residence Former Rice Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 25-2 Toyotsucho, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 9 June 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 23 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- 榎原家住宅旧米蔵 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004152
- 榎原家住宅旧米蔵 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/169462
- 指定・登録文化財一覧 (Suita City)
- https://www.city.suita.osaka.jp/bunkazai/shitei/1031084.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
