Sugimotoke Residence

Overview

The Sugimotoke Residence is a precious historical building that vividly retains the image of a large merchant's house from the Edo period, while being located in the heart of Kyoto. The current main building was rebuilt after the great fire of 1864 and completed on April 23, 1870. The head of the household at that time was the sixth-generation Shinzaemon Tamekata, and the master carpenters were Hishi-ya Risaburo and Omi-ya Gorayuemon. The main building, standing on a plot of 30 meters wide and 52 meters deep, is built in the "omoteya-zukuri" style, connecting the storefront facing the main street with the living quarters in the back through a connecting section. Every detail—from the Kyo-goshi (Kyoto-style lattice) and de-goshi (outer lattice) to the large doors, inu-yari (dog-leg fence), and the earth-plastered mushiko windows opening onto the second-floor zushi (alcove)—exemplifies a typical old Kyo-machiya. As the largest townhouse in the city, it features distinctive elements, including rooms with 1.5-ken (approx. 2.7m) tatami mats and shelves, a Buddhist altar projecting westward as an independent structure, and a large kitchen. North of the main building are the large storehouse, corner storehouse, and middle storehouse, said to have survived the Genji fire, arranged in a key shape. Its excellent state of preservation makes it a highly valuable remaining structure of a large merchant's house in Shimogyo. It also serves as a display area during the Gion Matsuri festival. Designated a Kyoto City Tangible Cultural Property in February 1990, the Sugimotoke Residence was designated a National Important Cultural Property in June 2010. Newly added to the designation were a roof tree inscription (April 1870), a book of house construction records (February 1870), a former rice storehouse, a former pickle storehouse, six high walls, and 1049.89㎡ of land. In February 2011, the gardens inside and outside the building were designated a Place of Scenic Beauty as "Gardens of a Kyo-machiya." These include sitting gardens, entrance gardens, shop gardens, roji gardens (pathways with gardens), tsuboniwa (small, enclosed gardens), and an indoor running garden. The designation of an indoor passageway and workspace, without plantings, as a Place of Scenic Beauty was unprecedented for a Kyo-machiya, a unique feature of the Sugimotoke Residence.