What the Document Storehouse Is
The Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse (佐々木家住宅文庫蔵, Sasaki-ke Jūtaku Bunkogura) in Maego, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, is a 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse built in 1900 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002. It is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, with a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of pantiles and a building area of 72 square meters.
It is the oldest of the four buildings on the Sasaki estate, fourteen years older than the main house, and the first project of Shinkichiro, the eighth head of the family.
A Dated Building to Measure Others By
We know exactly when the Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse was built because an ink inscription survives on its ridge beam (Munagi). According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it records both the year and the name of the master carpenter, though the name is not given in any published source.
Registered as no. 05-0077 and as a model of design, the storehouse is praised by the Agency for its careful workmanship, from the Shikkui plaster to the fittings, and described as a benchmark building for its period. A securely dated structure like this is what other undated buildings get compared against.
The brick facing on the outside walls is a later addition rather than part of the 1900 building. In the city leaflet's photograph, a white plastered gable rises above the brick.
Papers Downstairs, a Reception Room Upstairs
The storehouse runs north to south with a lean-to eave (Geya) on its east side. The ground floor was the family archive; the upper floor is a tatami reception room, and each floor is a single space. A building made to guard documents was also fitted out to receive guests.
According to the city leaflet, a step-chest staircase (Hako-kaidan) rises from the center of the ground floor, and a Western-style Kōran railing stands near the stairhead upstairs. The sliding doors, transoms and gable vent shutters on the upper floor are painted by well-known artists of the day.
Even the entrance was dressed up. The lintel over the front door carries the family crest in black and white plaster, and the inner door is carved with clouds and water.
Visiting the Document Storehouse
The Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse stands deep inside a private estate and is not open to the public; we found no occasion on which the painted upper room can be seen.
It lies behind Yorokaku toward the west of the plot. The Agency says the west side of the estate and the city leaflet the northwest. How much of it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. Stay outside the grounds and photograph only from the street. Directions to the estate are on the Sasaki Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse built?
- In 1900. An ink inscription on the ridge beam records the year and the master carpenter's name.
- Why is the Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse a registered cultural property?
- It was registered on February 14, 2002, as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a carefully made benchmark building for its period.
- What is inside the Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse?
- A document store on the ground floor and a reception room upstairs, where the sliding doors and transoms are painted by known artists.
- Is the brick on the Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse original?
- No. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the brick facing was added later.
- Can I visit the inside of the Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse?
- No. It stands on a private estate and is not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse (佐々木家住宅文庫蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 207 Maego, Maego, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 05-0077 |
| Year Designated | Registered February 14, 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 72 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002589
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sasaki Family Residence Document Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/193589
- Sasaki Family Residence (Yurihonjo City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.yurihonjo.lg.jp/1001503/1002098/1002113/1002126/1003555.html
- Sasaki Residence leaflet (Yurihonjo City, PDF, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.yurihonjo.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/003/555/1003555_001.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.27
