A Reception Storehouse Set Back from the Road
The Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse (石橋家住宅土蔵, Ishibashi-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a Meiji-period (1868–1911) Zashiki-gura, a storehouse with finished rooms, at the Ishibashi Family Residence in Kuizaki, Narita City, Chiba Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registration number 12-0019) on July 8, 1999. It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri building under a tiled gable roof (Kirizuma-zukuri), standing northwest of the East Storehouse with its ridge running east to west. At 40 square meters, it is the largest of the four registered buildings.
The gate and the two roadside storehouses were registered for their part in the historic landscape. The Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse alone was registered as a building that would be difficult to reproduce, most likely on the strength of the workmanship in its details.
Porch and Floating Roof of the Ishibashi Storehouse
A zashiki-gura is fitted out with a reception room, not only shelves for goods. The Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse signals that role from outside with a porch on its south side under a hip-and-gable roof (Irimoya-zukuri), an entrance more suited to guests than to sacks of rice.
The roof is of the Okiyane type, a separate roof frame set over the sealed earthen body of the storehouse. The Hachimaki band at the eaves is finished in black Shikkui plaster, a dark stripe between wall and roof.
The Window Hood on the East Gable
The most elaborate part of the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse is the hood over the window in its east gable end. Small as it is, it has its own hip-and-gable roof, rafters fanned out from a central point (Ōgidaruki) and bracket sets (Kumimono) carrying the eaves. These are techniques of temple and shrine carpentry, applied here to a single window.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs says the floating roof, the black plaster band and this window hood set the Storehouse apart from the other storehouses on the property, Chiba Prefecture points to the same features, and Narita City calls the design finely wrought. Next to the plain rice stores by the gate, the amount of attention given to this building is obvious.
Visiting the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse
The Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse is part of a private home that Narita City lists as closed to the public, and its rooms cannot be seen.
The Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse stands inside the grounds, behind the gate and the two storehouses on the road. How much of it can be seen from the street could not be confirmed. If it is hidden, please do not enter the grounds; the gate and roadside storehouses are what the street offers.
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Q&A
- When was the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the Meiji period (1868–1911). No more precise year is given.
- What kind of building is the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse?
- A zashiki-gura, a storehouse with a finished room inside. It is a single-storey dozo-zukuri building with a tiled gable roof and a hip-and-gable porch on the south side, covering 40 square meters.
- What should I look for on the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse?
- The floating okiyane roof, the black plaster band at the eaves and the window hood on the east gable, which has a hip-and-gable roof, fan rafters and bracket sets.
- Why is the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1999 and was registered as a building that would be difficult to reproduce. Its detailed workmanship, especially the window hood and eaves band, distinguishes it from the other storehouses.
- Can I visit the Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is part of a private home and not open to the public. It stands inside the grounds, and its visibility from the street has not been confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishibashi Family Residence Storehouse (石橋家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 215 Kuizaki, Narita City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 12-0019 |
| Year Designated | Registered July 8, 1999 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, single storey, tiled roof, building area 40 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner (blank in the national database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the grounds; visibility from the road unconfirmed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishibashi-ke Jutaku Dozo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001177
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Ishibashi Family Residence Gate and Others (in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-025.html
- Narita City: Ishibashi Family Residence Gate and Others (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.narita.chiba.jp/shisei/page0152_00063.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
