The Storehouse in the Far Corner
The Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse (旧斎藤家住宅土蔵, Kyū-Saitō-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a two-storey, plaster-walled Dozo-zukuri storehouse of the mid-Meiji era in the northeast corner of the Saito compound in Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017. Of the four registered buildings belonging to the Saito family, wholesalers of katsuobushi (dried bonito), it stands furthest from the street.
The plan is nearly square at 3 by 3 bays, with a building area of 33 square metres. The tiled Kirizuma-zukuri gable roof is turned so that the gable end forms the front in the Tsumairi manner, and a canopy 1 and a half bays deep shelters the entrance. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the building to the mid-Meiji period, 1883 to 1897, while Ichinomiya Town estimates around 1897, the same as the main house.
Inside, each floor is a single undivided room. This is a building made for storage and nothing else.
Why It Was Registered
Three of the four Saito buildings were registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse is the exception: it was registered as a model of its building type. A storehouse tucked out of sight behind the house earned its listing on the quality of its construction.
The structure is the heart of the case. The roof frame is of the Wagoya type, with beams laid in three tiers to make a sturdy frame. A storehouse has to carry heavy earthen walls and a tiled roof, and stacking beams in several layers is one way of meeting that load.
The finishes received care as well. The ground-floor doorway and the windows in both gable ends on the upper floor are neatly finished in Shikkui lime plaster. The Agency's citation treats the storehouse as one of the elements that make up the compound as a whole, the last in the sequence that runs from the shop on the street to the back of the lot.
What to Look For
From outside, note how the canopy relates to the doorway. The canopy, 1 and a half bays deep, projects over the entrance and gives a sheltered spot for moving goods in and out.
The gable windows on the upper floor are worth a look too. Set into the triangular wall under the roof and framed in carefully finished plaster, they give the otherwise closed walls a point of detail.
Be aware of the current condition. According to Ichinomiya Town (page updated December 2017), the Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse is used for storage and has been clad in corrugated metal sheeting because of weathering. How much of the plasterwork is visible from outside depends on what work has been done since.
Visiting
The storehouse is privately owned and sits at the very back of the plot. It is still used for storage, and no public access to the interior is offered.
It cannot be seen from the street, hidden behind the shop storehouse and the main house. To find out whether you can view the exterior, visit on a day the Suya Honke café in the shop storehouse is open and ask the staff whether you may walk to the back of the grounds. The same goes for photography: ask on the spot.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse?
- The interior is not open; the storehouse is used for storage. Ask the staff of the café in the shop storehouse whether you can see the exterior.
- Why was the Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- It was registered as a model of its building type, for its sturdy wagoya roof frame with beams in three tiers and its carefully plastered doorway and window surrounds. It is the only one of the four Saito buildings registered under that criterion.
- When was the Saito Family Residence Storehouse in Ichinomiya built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897); Ichinomiya Town estimates around 1897.
- How big is the Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey storehouse of 3 by 3 bays with a building area of 33 square metres and a canopy 1 and a half bays deep at the front.
- Where is the storehouse on the Saito Family Residence grounds?
- In the northeast corner, the furthest point from the street, beyond the Inari shrine that stands behind the main house.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse (旧斎藤家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2987-1 Ichinomiya (Torimachi 3-chome), Ichinomiya Town, Chosei District, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/6/28 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey storehouse construction, tiled roof, 3 by 3 bays, building area 33 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Interior closed (used for storage) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011653
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/300679
- Ichinomiya Town: Former Saito Family Residence Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://www.town.ichinomiya.chiba.jp/kankou/kankouannai/bunkazai/yuukei/421.html
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Former Saito Family Residence Main House and Others (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-097.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
