A Storehouse for the Village Post Office
The Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse (旧ヤマジュウ田村家住宅東土蔵, Kyū Yamajū Tamura-ke Jūtaku Higashi-dozō) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Fussa, Tokyo, built in 1911 and entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 19, 2014.
The year on its ridge tag is the same year the Tamura family opened the Fussa post office across the street from their house. The Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse went up after the office opened, and it was used to keep the equipment the office needed.
Same Master Carpenter, More Windows
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the East Storehouse stands behind the main house to the north, beside the West Storehouse. It measures 6.2 meters by 4.3 meters, with a building area of 34 square meters (34.26 by the city's figure), which makes it 20 centimeters shorter than its neighbor along the ridge.
Like the West Storehouse it has an Okiyane, a separate roof set on top of the thick Dozo-zukuri walls, but here the roof is laid with standard pantiles in the Sangawara-buki manner. A small lean-to roof shelters the doorway on the south face, and the lower walls on the east side and the back are clad in overlapping boards held by notched battens, the sasarako Shitami-itabari finish. The national agency notes that the same master carpenter who built the main house and the West Storehouse was responsible for this one, giving the compound a consistent look.
The East Storehouse has more windows than its neighbor: on the south and north sides of the upper floor, and on the north side of the ground floor as well. The Fussa City Local History Museum adds that the roof framing differs between the two.
Why the East Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse was registered as registration number 13-0352, under the criterion of a building that contributes to the historic landscape. Together with the main house and the West Storehouse, all by one carpenter, it shows a homestead completed within 9 years.
The West Storehouse served the household. The East Storehouse served the family business, the post office, and in that difference you can read the role this family played in the village's communications.
The Gallery on the Ground Floor
The ground floor of the Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse has been converted into a small gallery and is open to visitors. In June 2024 the city newsletter reported that it was showing "Nagata Ezu," a memory painting by Kubota Seiji of the Nagata district of Fussa in the early Showa period, with the display changed 4 times a year.
Exhibits change over time, so check the Fussa City Local History Museum's event listings before you go.
Seeing the East Storehouse
You can step inside the Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse through the ground-floor gallery. Entry is free and it sits a few steps from the main house. The upper floor is closed.
Outside, start at the south front to see the doorway, its lean-to roof and the tiled roof above. Then go around the east side for the battened wainscot. At the back, the north wall shows the ground-floor and upper-floor windows that the West Storehouse does not have.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse built?
- Its ridge tag dates it to 1911, the year the Tamura family opened the Fussa post office.
- What was kept in the Yamaju Tamura East Storehouse?
- Equipment used at the Fussa post office, which the family ran.
- Can I go inside the Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse?
- Yes. The ground floor is a gallery open to visitors. The upper floor is closed.
- How big is the Yamaju Tamura East Storehouse and how is it built?
- It is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse with a separate tiled roof, measuring 6.2 meters by 4.3 meters, with a building area of 34 square meters.
- Who built the Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs says it was the work of the same master carpenter as the main house and the West Storehouse. The agency does not give the carpenter's name.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse (旧ヤマジュウ田村家住宅東土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1158 Aza-Naga, Oaza Fussa, Fussa City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 13-0352 |
| Year Designated | Registered December 19, 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-story dozo-zukuri, tiled roof, 6.2 meters by 4.3 meters, building area 34 square meters |
| Owner | Fussa City |
| Public Access | Open (ground-floor gallery viewable, upper floor closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010272
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/244665
- Fussa City Local History Museum: Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.museum.fussa.tokyo.jp/yamaju
- Fussa City Local History Museum: Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence East Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://www.museum.fussa.tokyo.jp/archives/fc_cultural/548
- Fussa City: Facility Guide, Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.fussa.tokyo.jp/map/bunka/1018060.html
- Koho Fussa, June 15, 2024 issue: Former Yamaju Tamura Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://city-fussa.kohoplus.jp/article/%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E7%A6%8F%E7%94%9F%E5%B8%82/%E5%BA%83%E5%A0%B1%E3%81%B5%E3%81%A3%E3%81%95-%E4%BB%A4%E5%92%8C6%E5%B9%B46%E6%9C%8815%E6%97%A5%E5%8F%B7/%E5%9B%BD%E7%99%BB%E9%8C%B2%E6%9C%89%E5%BD%A2%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96%E8%B2%A1%E5%BB%BA%E9%80%A0%E7%89%A9-%E6%97%A7%E3%83%A4%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A6%E7%94%B0%E6%9D%91%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F/
Last verified: 2026.10.03
