A Meiji Storehouse of the Finest Bōshū Stone
The Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse (鈴木家住宅石蔵, Suzuki-ke Jūtaku Ishigura) is a 2-storey stone storehouse built in 1902 in Kanaya, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) in 2010. It covers 49 square metres, running east to west and measuring 4.9 metres by 7.6 metres, with a hipped pantile roof and its entrance at the end (Tsumairi). A single-storey section is attached on the east side.
It stands northwest of the Main House and was repaired in 1923 and again in 1979. Today it is the annex of the Nokogiriyama Museum of Art, open to visitors as the Nokogiriyama Archives, a display on the history of the mountain and its quarries.
Why It Was Registered
The Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse was registered under the criterion of being difficult to reproduce. The Chiba Prefectural Board of Education notes that the best Bōshū stone on the property went into this building.
The top grade of Bōshū stone is known as sakura-me, and this storehouse is built of it, laid with evident care. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as showing a mature masonry technique. A family whose living came from cutting this stone chose the best of it for its own storehouse. Building the same storehouse again, with stone of that quality and masonry of that skill, would not be easy today.
What to Look For
Start with the roof. The ridge and the ogre-faced end tiles (Onigawara) are oversized, giving the roof a weight to match the stone walls below.
Then go close to the walls, where the joint lines between the cut blocks show how the stone was laid course by course. Because the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse is open as a museum annex, you can study the masonry up close and see displays on stone quarrying on Mount Nokogiri inside. The first recorded repair, in 1923, falls in the year of the Great Kantō Earthquake.
Visiting
The Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse is open as the Nokogiriyama Archives, the annex of the Nokogiriyama Museum of Art. It stands behind the museum, and tickets are sold at the museum desk. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission 4:30 p.m.), with the same closing days as the museum, including Tuesdays (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday). Admission is 300 yen for adults, 150 yen for junior high and high school students and free for younger children, or 1000 yen and 550 yen for the museum and annex together (checked September 25, 2026).
The museum website does not say whether photography is allowed inside, so ask at the desk.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse in Futtsu?
- Yes. It is open as the Nokogiriyama Archives, the annex of the Nokogiriyama Museum of Art. Tickets are sold at the museum: 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for students (checked September 25, 2026).
- What are the opening hours of the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse?
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., last admission 4:30 p.m. It closes on Tuesdays (the following day if Tuesday is a holiday), between exhibitions and at New Year.
- When was the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse built?
- In 1902, with repairs in 1923 and 1979.
- What stone is the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse made of?
- Sakura-me, regarded as the top grade of Bōshū stone from Mount Nokogiri, carefully laid in courses.
- How big is the Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey stone building measuring 4.9 metres by 7.6 metres, with a building area of 49 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse (鈴木家住宅石蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2288-1 Kanaya Uehara and others, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/1/15 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Stone, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 49 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Open (Nokogiriyama Museum of Art annex, Nokogiriyama Archives; admission charged) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Suzuki Family Residence Stone Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007973
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Suzuki Family Residence Main House and others, Futtsu (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-076.html
- Nokogiriyama Museum of Art: Annex, Nokogiriyama Archives (Japanese)
- https://nokogiriyama.com/pages/annex.html
- Nokogiriyama Museum of Art official website
- https://nokogiriyama.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
