What Is International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse?
International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse (国際基督教大学泰山荘蔵, kura) is a reinforced concrete storehouse on the International Christian University campus in Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, built around 1936 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1999.
It stands just east of Taizanso's Shoin, its long axis running north to south. The single-storey building has a tiled Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof with the entrance in the gable end (Tsumairi) and a footprint of 55 square metres. A lean-to roof (Geya) projects from the north gable to form a covered work area in front of the door, known as the kuramae.
It looks like a traditional earthen storehouse, but it is built of reinforced concrete: the familiar form of the Dozo-zukuri rendered with an early Showa construction method.
A Raised Storeroom
The feature the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is that the storeroom itself, everything except the kuramae, has a raised floor. Lifting the floor off the ground lets air flow underneath and keeps damp from rising. On a bluff edge thick with trees and fed by springs, it was likely a way to keep the contents dry.
The kuramae is a covered space in front of the storehouse door. Here the lean-to off the north gable keeps the rain off, and the storeroom beyond sits a step higher, so the floor level separates the place for coming and going from the place for storage.
None of the sources consulted here records what was kept inside. Built beside the Shoin as an adjunct to the main house, it was presumably the villa's household store.
Why It Is Registered
International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse was entered on the national register on October 14, 1999 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register number 13-0060, under the criterion of serving as a model of form.
What dates it is the way it copies a traditional storehouse in reinforced concrete. It keeps the standard elements, a tiled gable roof, an entrance in the gable end and a covered kuramae under a lean-to, while building the walls and floor in modern materials and raising the storeroom floor. Among Taizanso's thatched gate and relocated tea rooms, it is the building that shows early Showa construction technique.
What to Look For
Head for the north side. The lean-to juts out from the gable to shelter the kuramae, and the door lies behind it. Apart from the kuramae, the storeroom floor is held well above the ground.
The roof is tiled, like the Shoin next door. The shared material suggests the two were planned together as outbuildings of the main house.
From outside you would hardly guess that the walls are concrete. Knowing that what looks like an earthen storehouse is in fact reinforced concrete, you can read the owner's wish for durability and a traditional look at the same time.
Visiting the Storehouse
The interior of International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse is closed. The exterior can be seen on the university's special open days; during the 2026 opening it can be viewed freely without booking from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The best views are from the north side, with the kuramae, and from the west, where it lines up with the Shoin.
The reserved guided tour on the open days also stops here, but photography is banned during the tour. Directions to the campus and the open-day schedule are on the International Christian University Taizanso page.
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Q&A
- Is International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse a traditional earthen storehouse?
- It looks like one, but it is built of reinforced concrete. It reproduces the form of an earthen storehouse, with a tiled gable roof and an entrance in the gable end, using modern construction.
- Can I see inside International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse?
- No. The interior is closed; only the exterior can be viewed on the university's special open days.
- When was International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse built?
- Around 1936, when Taizanso was being laid out. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 14, 1999.
- What is the raised floor of International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse?
- Except for the covered kuramae area in front of the door, the floor of the storeroom is lifted well off the ground. The Agency for Cultural Affairs cites this as the building's distinguishing feature.
- Where is International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse within Taizanso?
- Directly east of the Shoin, aligned north to south, with its door and kuramae on the north side.
Basic Information
| Name | International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse (国際基督教大学泰山荘蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka City, Tokyo (International Christian University campus) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/10/14 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, single storey, tiled roof, building area 55 square metres |
| Owner | International Christian University (educational corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior closed. Exterior viewable on special open days |
References
- International Christian University Taizanso Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001371
- Buildings of Taizanso (ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)
- https://subsites.icu.ac.jp/yuasa_museum/taizanso_web/build.html
- Taizanso Special Opening 2026 (ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)
- https://subsites.icu.ac.jp/yuasa_museum/taizanso_web/2026koukai.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
