Hiroumi Family Residence Barn

A Fireproof Workshop on the Southeast Corner

The Hiroumi Family Residence Barn (廣海家住宅納屋, Hiroumi-ke jūtaku naya) is a single-storey storehouse-type building from the mid-Meiji period in Nishimachi, Kaizuka City, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.

It occupies the southeast corner of the lot: a thick-walled (Dozo-zukuri) block 6 ken by 2 and a half ken, with a lean-to 1 ken deep along its north front. The footprint is 58 square meters and the roof is tiled.

The high wall that runs south from the main house ends against the Hiroumi Family Residence Barn, so the whole east side of the compound is closed without a break from house to barn.

Why It Matters

According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, rental houses probably stood on this spot in the Edo period, and the barn itself dates to the middle of Meiji. The building marks a shift from letting out a corner of the lot to using it for the family's own work and storage.

It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency notes that, together with the main house and the high wall, it forms part of the temple town's streetscape.

What to Look For

The lean-to on the north front appears to have given sheltered space for loading and for work on rainy days. Heavy clay walls paired with a light lean-to give the building its workmanlike look.

Inside are two rooms. The west half now has a raised floor, but the whole interior was originally earth-floored (Doma), a place to set down goods and tools and to work.

From outside, look at the point where the high wall meets the barn. Wall and building together close off the east edge of the compound, a good example of how a merchant's lot presented itself to the street.

Visiting the Hiroumi Family Residence Barn

The Hiroumi Family Residence Barn is part of a private home and its interior is not open. As the Agency's note on the streetscape suggests, part of the exterior can be seen from the road on the east side of the compound, along with the high wall.

The grounds are closed, so viewing is from the road only. Please respect the residents and do not photograph through doorways. How the compound fits together, and how to get there, is covered on the Hiroumi Family Residence page.