Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise Storehouse
The Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise Storehouse (山内家住宅商品蔵, Yamauchi-ke Jūtaku Shōhingura) is a Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse on the south side of 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 of 5 Ken by 3 ken, with a building area of 50 square meters, under a gabled sheet-metal roof of the okiyane type, framed separately and set on top of the storehouse body. It stands parallel to the document storehouse and is the smallest of the estate's four storehouses.
As the name suggests, it most likely held the stock of the family's kimono business.
Why the Merchandise Storehouse Was Registered
The Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. In its entry for this building, the Agency for Cultural Affairs observes that the storehouses on the estate share one design and give the rear of the property its unity, an assessment that treats all four as a single group.
With the shop in the main house at the front and this storehouse behind it, you can trace how a kimono merchant's property worked, from the counter on the street to the stock at the back.
What to Look For: Hinged Shutters and Brackets
The walls are finished in mortar, and the windows close with hinged double shutters. Each window has a small hood carried on Mochiokuri brackets projecting from the wall, which cast small shadows across the flat surface.
The garage at the front of the estate also carries its hood on brackets, there with a spiral design. Seen side by side, the two show the same device used on a storehouse and on a garage.
Visiting the Merchandise Storehouse
The Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise 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 Merchandise Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise 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 Merchandise Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen storehouse measuring 5 ken by 3 ken, with a building area of 50 square meters, the smallest of the estate's four storehouses.
- What should I look for on the Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise Storehouse?
- The hinged double shutters on the windows and the small hoods above them, carried on projecting mochiokuri brackets.
- Why was the Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the estate's storehouses share one design and give the rear of the property its unity.
- Can visitors see the Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise Storehouse?
- No. It is closed, and Yuzawa City's 2026 open house uses the main house and the document storehouse, not the merchandise storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamauchi Family Residence Merchandise 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 | 5 ken by 3 ken; building area 50 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Merchandise Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006333
- Cultural Heritage Online: Merchandise Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/182546
- 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
