Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse
The Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse (山内家住宅道具蔵, Yamauchi-ke Jūtaku Dōgugura) is a Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse beside the document storehouse on a kimono merchant family's estate in Fukibari, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, built in 1935 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 2, 2007.
It is a two-story building with a building area of 54 square meters. At 6.5 Ken by 2.5 ken it is long and narrow, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out that length. It stands parallel to the document storehouse, on its north side and a little closer to the road.
In a household like this, a dōgugura held the things brought out only for occasions: tableware, furnishings and other goods for celebrations and memorial rites.
Why the Tool Storehouse Was Registered
The Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it does without ornament and has a calm, settled exterior.
Where the main house presents a busy gable of stacked beams, this is a quiet building of walls and roof alone. All four storehouses on the estate share gabled sheet-metal roofs and mortar walls, and the tool storehouse takes its place in that row behind the main house.
What to Look For: A Floating Roof and Hooded Windows
The gabled sheet-metal roof is of the okiyane type, a separately framed roof set on top of the plastered storehouse body. The arrangement is meant to protect the body of the building if the roof burns in a fire.
The walls are finished in mortar. There are doors on both the long side and the gable end, and each window has its own small hood. On an otherwise plain wall, those windows and hoods are almost the only features.
Visiting the Tool Storehouse
The Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse stands inside the estate behind the main house and is not open to the public. Yuzawa City's 2026 open house uses the main house and the document storehouse, not this building.
The Yamauchi Family Residence page covers directions and open-house details.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1935. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 2, 2007.
- How big is the Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen storehouse measuring 6.5 ken by 2.5 ken, with a building area of 54 square meters.
- What kind of roof does the Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse have?
- A gabled sheet-metal roof of the okiyane type, framed separately and set on top of the storehouse body.
- Why was the Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its calm exterior, free of ornament.
- Can visitors see the Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse?
- No. It is closed, and Yuzawa City's 2026 open house uses the main house and the document storehouse, not the tool storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamauchi Family Residence Tool Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1-4 Fukibari, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/10/2 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 6.5 ken by 2.5 ken; building area 54 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Tool Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006331
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tool Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/119204
- Yuzawa City: Yamauchi Family Residence Main House and six other buildings (Japanese)
- https://www.city-yuzawa.jp/site/bunkazai/2216.html
- Akita Prefecture: Yamauchi Family Residence, registered 2007 (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.akita.lg.jp/pages/archive/3375
Last verified: 2026.09.25
