The working storehouse
The Former Kurauchi Family Residence Storehouse (旧蔵内家住宅倉, Kyū-Kurauchi-ke Jūtaku Kura) in Kamifukano, Chikujo-machi, Fukuoka Prefecture, is an early Showa-era single-storey storehouse that marks the southwest corner of the Kurauchi family estate, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002.
Built on an L-shaped plan, it meets the Rice Storehouse at its east end and covers 173 square metres. A service gate opens near the middle of the south side, and the interior was divided into separate stores for farm tools, plasterers' equipment and carpenters' equipment.
The roof is Sangawara-buki tile, the walls are Shinkabe with the posts exposed, and the lower walls outside are clad in vertical boards.
Why it was registered
The Storehouse was registered as number 40-0028 for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as one of the facilities that give the great house its character.
Dedicated stores for plasterers' and carpenters' tools suggest that the house and garden were kept up continuously. A mansion enlarged over several years in the Taisho era would likely have needed craftsmen long after it was finished. The farm-tool store is a reminder that the Kurauchi were also landowners with fields to work.
Letting the storehouse itself form the corner of the property, rather than a wall, echoes the way large rural houses often used their outbuildings to define their boundaries.
What to look for
From the road to the south, follow the walls out from the service gate in both directions. The band of vertical boarding and the pale wall above run level and join the Rice Storehouse to the east; the two stores together make the estate's southern face.
Walk to the corner and the L-plan becomes obvious, the building locking in the southwest angle of the plot so that boundary and building are one.
The service gate was the back entrance for craftsmen and farm work, quite separate from the formal Grand Entrance. Seeing the two routes side by side helps you understand how the household was run.
Visiting the Storehouse
The exterior of the Former Kurauchi Family Residence Storehouse can be seen from within the Kyu-Kurauchi-tei grounds and from the road to the south. The town does not say whether the interior is open, so ask at the desk. The service gate is not a visitor entrance.
Check photography rules at the desk. Hours, fees and directions are on the Former Kurauchi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Kurauchi Family Residence Storehouse
- [ Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine & Hakata Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Kurauchi Family Residence Storehouse built?
- It dates from the early Showa era.
- What was the Kurauchi Storehouse used for?
- It was divided into stores for farm tools, plasterers' equipment and carpenters' equipment.
- What is the shape of the Kurauchi Storehouse?
- An L-shaped plan that forms the southwest corner of the estate, with a service gate in the middle of the south side.
- Where can I see the Kurauchi Storehouse?
- From within the Kyu-Kurauchi-tei grounds and from the road to the south. Ask at the desk about the interior.
- What protection does the Kurauchi Storehouse have?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on February 14, 2002.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kurauchi Family Residence Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 396 Kamifukano, Chikujo-machi, Chikujo-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002/2/14 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 173 square metres (L-shaped plan) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (opened to the public by Chikujo Town as Kyu-Kurauchi-tei) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the Kyu-Kurauchi-tei grounds and the road to the south; check on site whether the interior is open (closed Wednesdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database: Former Kurauchi Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002709
Last verified: 2026.09.26
