A Storehouse Capped With Shakudani Stone
Along the western edge of the Ishida compound, toward its southern end, stands the front storehouse, a two-story dozō raised in the thick mud-walled construction that made such buildings fireproof. It runs five ken by two and a half, is gabled and tiled, and covers about 73 square meters. The detail that sets it apart is at the very top: its ridge is weighted with Shakudani-ishi, a blue-green volcanic tuff quarried near Fukui and used across the region for everything from lanterns to roof ridges.
Shakudani stone is a local signature. Soft enough to carve when fresh and hardening on exposure, it has been worked in the Fukui area since medieval times, and its cool grey-green color is unmistakable once you know it. Seeing it crown a farm storehouse, rather than a temple or a grave marker, is a reminder of how thoroughly the material belonged to everyday building here.
Why It Was Registered
The front storehouse was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2006, one of the five Ishida buildings listed that year. Its worth lies partly in its regional construction, from the Echizen tile to the Shakudani ridge stone, and partly in its place within a storehouse row that survives intact along the compound's west side, giving a clear picture of how a headman's household organized its storage.
On the east face a tiled pent roof, about one and a half ken wide, projects to form a kura-mae, a sheltered forecourt where goods could be handled out of the weather before the storehouse doors. The eaves are finished in white plaster and the walls are clad in battened weatherboard, the same weatherproof skin used across the compound.
What to Look For
The roof frame rewards attention if you can glimpse it: above the tie beams, short posts stand up to carry a jimune, a low ridge piece, and the purlins that support the roof, a straightforward and sturdy way of framing a storehouse loft. From outside, the building reads as a plain white-and-grey box, its strength worn openly.
The thing to seek out is the ridge stone. Set against the tile, the pale grey-green of the Shakudani block marks this storehouse as a Fukui building through and through. The storehouse stands within a private residence and cannot be entered, so it is best taken in from the road together with the neighboring west storehouse just to its north.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukui
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ishida Family Residence Front Storehouse
- [ Eiheiji Temple & Tojinbo Cliffs Day Trip ]
Q&A
- What is Shakudani stone?
- A blue-green volcanic tuff quarried near Fukui and worked in the region since medieval times, used for lanterns, grave markers, foundations, and roof ridges.
- What is a kura-mae?
- A sheltered forecourt formed by a projecting eave in front of a storehouse, where goods could be moved in and out under cover.
- How old is it?
- It dates from the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1911, making it slightly later than the neighboring west storehouse.
- Why place stone on the ridge?
- Here the Shakudani block sits at the ridge as a regional building practice; the effect is both practical weighting and a local finishing touch.
- Can I visit it?
- Only from the public road. The Ishida Residence is a private home and is not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishida Residence Front Storehouse (Ishida-ke Jutaku Mae-gura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 33-87 Kawajiri-cho, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); registered 18 October 2006 |
| Period | Early Meiji era (1868-1911) |
| Structure | Two-story mud-walled storehouse construction, tiled roof; about 73 m2; 5 by 2.5 ken, gabled, Shakudani stone at the ridge, with an east-side forecourt |
| Count | 1 building |
| Registration criterion | Contributing to the nation's historic landscape |
| Access | Private residence; exterior view only, not open to the public |
References
- National Database of Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Ishida Residence Front Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005836
- Association for Community Building with Visible History — Ishida Residence
- https://www.fukui-rekimachi.jp/category/detail.php?post_id=27
- City of Fukui — List of Registered Buildings
- https://www.city.fukui.lg.jp/kankou/bunka/bunkazai/kennzoubutu.html
- Fukui Prefecture — Cultural Property Search
- https://bunkazai.pref.fukui.lg.jp/search_category
Last verified: 2026.07.04