The oldest building on the estate
The Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse (旧秋場家住宅土蔵, Kyū Akiba-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is an earthen-walled storehouse built in 1842 in Torami, Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on June 28, 2017. It is the oldest of the three registered buildings on the Akiba estate.
Its date is fixed by a Munafuda, the ridge tag recording construction. Built in the Dozo-zukuri fireproof manner, it has 2 storeys, a tiled roof and a building area of 45 square metres. It stands east of the gatehouse that closes the south side of the estate, with its front facing north, and was renovated in 2013.
Why it was registered
The Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse was registered as a model of its type. It measures 5 bays by 3, under a gabled roof, with the entrance in the gable end (Tsumairi) and a lean-to roof sheltering the front.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a carefully made storehouse, and the walls show why. From the plinth up through the ground floor they are clad in Shitami-itabari clapboarding; the upper floor is finished in Shikkui lime plaster, which is carried right under the eaves so that the purlins and the undersides of the rafters disappear inside the plaster. Wrapping the eaves timbers this way takes far more work than leaving them exposed.
What to look for
From outside, look for the line where the boarded ground floor gives way to the plastered upper floor, and then at the eaves above. Because every rafter end is plastered over, the soffit reads as one smooth surface rather than a row of timbers.
Inside, each floor is a single open room. The roof frame rests on a heavy ridge beam of large diameter, with Nobori-bari, sloping beams, pitched up to it. If you get the chance to climb to the upper floor, look up at the sloping beams fanning down from that ridge beam.
The Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse is also the only one of the three buildings that goes back to the Edo period.
Visiting
The storehouse is not open to the public on a regular basis. Ichinomiya Town describes it as a gallery, so the interior can be seen only when an exhibition or similar event is on. No operator's page could be found as of October 2026, so check the situation before you go.
The front of the storehouse, in its gable end, faces north into the estate, so the entrance side and its lean-to roof can be seen only from inside the grounds; do not enter without permission. Directions and general visiting conditions are on the Former Akiba Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse built?
- Its ridge tag dates it to 1842, making it the oldest of the three registered buildings on the estate. It was renovated in 2013.
- When was the Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on June 28, 2017, under registration number 12-0229.
- Where on the estate is the Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse?
- It stands east of the gatehouse on the south side of the estate, with its front facing north into the grounds.
- What is special about the Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse?
- Its careful wall finish: clapboarding on the ground floor and lime plaster above, carried under the eaves to cover the purlins and rafters. Inside, sloping beams rise to a large ridge beam.
- Can I go inside the Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse?
- Not on a regular basis. The town describes it as a gallery, open only during exhibitions or events. No operator's information could be found as of October 2026, so check in advance.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Akiba Family Residence Storehouse (旧秋場家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1611 Ōmura, Torami, Ichinomiya-machi, Chōsei-gun, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/06/28 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 45 square metres; 5 by 3 bays |
| Owner | 有限会社亜巳絵 (private limited company) |
| Public Access | Not open on a regular basis (described by the town as a gallery) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: 旧秋場家住宅土蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011649
- Ichinomiya Town: 旧秋場家住宅土蔵
- https://www.town.ichinomiya.chiba.jp/kankou/kankouannai/bunkazai/yuukei/417.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
