The Store That Became a Home for Festival Dolls
The Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse (佐々木利三郎家住宅人形蔵) is an earthen-walled storehouse of the Taisho era (1912 to 1926) in Iwaki Kameda, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 29, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 62 square metres; registration number 05-0211.
From Document Store to Doll Store
The Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled store on the west side of the lot, between the main house and the rice storehouse, its ridge running north to south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is entered on the long side, and a tiled lean-to on the east front forms a covered Kuramae before the door. Yurihonjo City gives its size as 10.4 metres by 5.3 metres.
It was first known as the bunko-gura, a store for documents and household goods (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Yurihonjo City, in 1950 the Sasaki family hosted the festival of the local Kumano Shrine and began keeping here the dolls made to dress the festival floats, and the building has been called the doll storehouse ever since. Its shelving survives, and dolls are still kept inside.
Its framing and methods match those of the rice storehouse, and Western-style wire nails were used, so it is dated, like the rice store, to the Taisho era (Akita Prefecture; Yurihonjo City).
Why It Was Registered
The doll storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency singles out its plasterwork: doors finished in stepped Kakegonuri plaster and a lintel, the Magusa, decorated with a moulded pattern. Yurihonjo City adds that two large free-standing storehouses on one lot mark the standing of a family known as leading citizens of Kameda.
What to Look For
Compare the walls. Under the eaves the store is finished in Shikkui plaster, and from the footing to waist height it is faced with cut stone; between the two, the south wall and the south-east face of the lean-to are covered in Namako-kabe tile lattice, while the other walls have plain board cladding (Yurihonjo City). Only the faces seen from the main house are dressed up, just as with the rice store. Above the front door, the family crest and an arabesque are modelled in black plaster as Kote-e, and the inner board door carries specially made lock fittings stamped with the crest (Akita Prefecture; Yurihonjo City).
Visiting
The Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse stands inside a private lot behind the main house, and no official information on public access, or on viewing the dolls kept inside, was found.
Q&A
- When was the Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse built?
- In the Taisho era, between 1912 and 1926 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Sasaki storehouse called the doll storehouse?
- From 1950 the family kept the dolls made for Kumano Shrine festival floats here; it was first a store for documents and household goods.
- What should I look for on the doll storehouse?
- The cut-stone base, the namako-kabe tile lattice, the stepped plaster doors and the crest modelled above the entrance.
- Can I visit the Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse?
- It stands inside a private lot, and no official information on public access was found.
- When was the Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse registered?
- On November 29, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse (佐々木利三郎家住宅人形蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | Iwaki Kameda, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, 62 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Private residence; no official information on public access |
References
- Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence Doll Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011235
- Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence (Akita Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.akita.lg.jp/uploads/public/archive_0000011260_00/sasakirisaburokejutaku.pdf
- Sasaki Risaburo Family Residence (Yurihonjo City Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yurihonjo.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/003/561/1003561_003.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.20
