About the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse
The Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse (旧片野家住宅中の蔵, Kyū Katano-ke Jūtaku Naka-no-kura) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Hagurocho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, built around 1905, altered around 1955, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on March 6, 2024. It is a Dozo-zukuri building with a sheet-metal roof and covers 108 square meters.
The middle storehouse is attached to the northwest of the main house and once held the family's documents; Yokote City also calls it the bunko-gura, or archive storehouse. Its name reflects its place in the row: it sits between the brick storehouse to the southwest and the miso storehouse to the north.
White Walls and a Plaster Band
The walls of the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse are finished in white lime plaster (Shikkui) laid over the timber frame in the Ōkabe manner, so that the posts disappear inside the wall and almost no wood shows outside. Near the top, just under the eaves, a thick raised band of plaster (Hachimaki) runs all the way round, drawing a single horizontal line across the plain white surfaces.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the result as massive and solid. Yokote City notes that there is hardly any ornament: the point of the building is fire protection, provided by a strong frame and thick plaster walls. Set it beside the lacquered interior of the brick storehouse, built at about the same time, and the difference in purpose is obvious.
A Separate Roof and Doubled Beams
The Katano middle storehouse runs east to west under a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of the Okiyane type: the plastered body of the storehouse is sealed first, and a separately framed roof is set on top, a common arrangement for Japanese storehouses. A covered porch (Kuramae) is attached on the east side.
Both floors are boarded. Posts stand close together along the outer walls, and on the upper floor a doubled tier of beams carries the ridge beam and the purlins. The city points out that, plain as the building is, its frame is made of good-quality timber.
Why the Middle Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The white bulk extending northwest from the main house helps give the estate its shape, together with the brick and miso storehouses.
Although it was altered around 1955, the storehouse keeps the traditional earthen construction, with fire safety put first, that protected the family's papers.
Seeing the Middle Storehouse
The Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse stands at the back of the estate, to the northwest, and is almost entirely hidden from the street by the wall and the main house. You can see its exterior only when Yokote City opens the estate and you are inside the grounds.
Whether the interior is open varies from one open day to the next. If it is, look at the closely set posts and the doubled beams upstairs. Follow the on-site instructions on photography. Open days and directions are on the Former Katano Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse built?
- Around 1905, with alterations around 1955.
- What was the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse used for?
- It stored the family's documents. Yokote City also refers to it as the bunko-gura, the archive storehouse.
- What does the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse look like?
- It has thick white plaster walls with a raised plaster band below the eaves and almost no decoration. The sheet-metal roof is set on the plastered body as a separate structure.
- How big is the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse with a building area of 108 square meters.
- Can I see the Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse from the street?
- Hardly at all. It stands at the northwest back of the estate, so you need to come on a day when Yokote City opens the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse (旧片野家住宅中の蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 65 Hagurocho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2024 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 108 square meters (earthen-walled storehouse, 2 stories, sheet-metal roof) |
| Owner | Yokote City |
| Public Access | Open only on days set by Yokote City |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014712
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Katano Family Residence Middle Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/602710
- Yokote City: About the Former Katano Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokote.lg.jp/shisei/1001176/1001456/1010279.html
- Yokote City: Historic Landscape Building Sheet No. 1, Former Katano Family Residence (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.city.yokote.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/005/045/000155531.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.29
