What the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse Is
The Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse (中村家住宅土蔵, Nakamura-ke jūtaku dozō) is a storehouse of 1893 standing between the main house and the annex on the Nakamura estate in Onikoshi, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 7 October 2014. It is a 2-storey earthen-walled store, Dozo-zukuri, with a gabled pantile roof, and covers 46 square metres.
The Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse connects to both the main house and the annex, with its ridge running east to west. A lean-to, Geya, is attached on the north, and there are two doorways, one on the north side and one on the west. On the upper floor a single window with a small hood opens to the east.
The walls are now clad in sheet iron, with a projecting band, the hachimaki, kept along the top of the wall. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the walls were originally finished in Shikkui lime plaster and weatherboarding, Shitami-itabari.
Why It Was Registered
The Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse that forms part of the layout of the residence. It is not a store that stands out on its own; its value lies in linking the main house and the annex and holding the arrangement of the estate together.
Its date matters too. At 1893 it is the second oldest building on the estate after the Inari shrine. The database dates both the main house and the annex to the late Meiji era, which would mean this store was on the site before the present main house.
The change of skin is worth noting as well. Walls that were once plaster and weatherboard were later sheathed in iron. Re-cladding storehouses in metal sheet was done in many places, but here the hachimaki band survived the change, so the outline of an earthen store is still intact.
What to Look For
The feature to watch for is the hachimaki. On an earthen storehouse the top of the wall just below the eaves is thickened into a projecting band that protects the eave line. On the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse the step remains even under the iron cladding, and it gives the building its storehouse head.
The two doorways, north and west, are telling. Wedged between the main house and the annex, the store was given openings on two sides so it could be reached from either direction.
The upper window on the east has a small hood. Earthen stores keep their openings few and small, and the handling of this one window reflects that.
Visiting
The Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse is privately owned and the interior is closed. Ichikawa City's and Chiba Prefecture's heritage pages give no visiting days or booking procedure (checked 25 September 2026).
Because it stands between the main house and the annex, inside the property, it is hard to see from the highway. Please do not peer through the gateway to try to find it.
Directions and the conditions for seeing the estate as a whole are covered on the Nakamura Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse?
- The interior is closed because it is private property. It stands between the main house and the annex, a position that makes it hard to see even from the road.
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1893, making it the second oldest building on the estate after the Inari shrine. It was registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 7 October 2014.
- Were the walls of the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse always clad in iron?
- No. They were originally lime plaster and weatherboard and were later sheathed in sheet iron. The projecting band at the top of the wall was kept.
- How big is the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey earthen-walled store with a gabled pantile roof and a building area of 46 square metres. The ridge runs east to west.
- Where are the doors of the Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse?
- There are two doorways, on the north and west sides, and a lean-to is attached on the north.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse (中村家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-200-2 Onikoshi, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 12-0174 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/10/07 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 46 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010114
- Nakamura Family Residence Main House and Others (Chiba Prefectural Board of Education)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-078.html
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Ichikawa City Board of Education)
- https://www.city.ichikawa.lg.jp/page/4202.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
