What Is the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney?
The Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney (角家住宅煉瓦造煙突, Sumi-ke Jūtaku Renga-zō Entotsu) is a brick chimney built around 1906 in Nishiarashima-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It stands 6 meters tall and is counted as one structure.
Of the four registered items at the Sumi Family Residence, the chimney is the only one listed as a structure rather than a building. It carries registration number 32-0017 and was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
All That Remains of the Kitchen
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Sumi chimney stands just west of the main house. When it was built, a kitchen stood right against it, but that kitchen has since disappeared. The chimney alone now marks where the household's cooking was done.
The Agency treats the chimney as a relic of the modernization of the kitchen. It shows that a large rural household around 1906 had a brick flue for its kitchen, and it was also valued as a surviving piece of the estate's original layout.
A Square Stack That Narrows as It Rises
The Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney is square in section and tapers toward the top, where a slight decorative touch finishes the stack. At 6 meters it is a domestic chimney, not a factory one, and what repays a look is the outline itself, a square brick shaft that grows slimmer as it rises.
The Agency says only that the top carries "a slight accent", without describing its form, so the detail is best checked in person if access is ever arranged.
Visiting the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney
No public opening of the Sumi Family Residence, including the brick chimney, has been announced. Stay off the grounds, and contact the Culture Division of the Yasugi City Board of Education in advance if you wish to visit or take photographs.
The chimney stands on the west side of the main house, on the far side from the gate row house at the east of the plot. Whether it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. Directions and general visiting conditions are covered on the Sumi Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can I see the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney?
- No public opening is announced, and it is not confirmed whether the chimney is visible from the road. Contact the Culture Division of the Yasugi City Board of Education in advance if you wish to visit.
- When was the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney built?
- Around 1906, about the same time as the main house.
- How tall is the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney?
- 6 meters. It is square in section and narrows toward the top.
- What was the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney used for?
- It served a kitchen that originally stood against it. The kitchen has been lost and only the chimney remains.
- Why was the Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney registered?
- For its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency regards it as evidence of the modernization of the household kitchen.
Basic Information
| Name | Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney (角家住宅煉瓦造煙突) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2172 Shimohishiro, Nishiarashimacho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2003 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Height 6 m (brick) |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the national database) |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003694
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sumi Family Residence Brick Chimney
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/116574
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
- Yasugi City: Cultural Properties of Yasugi (contact: Board of Education Culture Division)
- https://www.city.yasugi.shimane.jp/kurashi/bunka/bunkazai/sibunkazai.html
Last verified: 2026.10.15
