About the Storehouse
The Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse (椛島家住宅蔵, Kabashima-ke Jūtaku Kura) in Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a 2-story clay-walled storehouse built in 1919, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
It stands northwest of the main house, linked by a covered corridor to the Buddhist altar room. The building area is 23 square meters and the register number 40-0142. The Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse is the only Taishō-era building among the 8 registrations, added some 20 years after the house, and is said to have been a nando-gura, a store for household goods and clothing.
Granite Base, Washed-Stone Skirt
The Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse rests on a base of coursed granite, with a gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki) along a north-south ridge. It is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, thick clay walls over a timber frame.
The lower walls are finished in artificial stone with a washed surface: cement mixed with crushed stone is troweled on and rinsed before it sets, so the aggregate stands out in a hard, water-resistant skin. Above, the walls are plain lime plaster (Shikkui), with a projecting plaster band (Hachimaki) under the eaves.
Plaster Quoins in the Western Manner
The corners are what make the Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse worth a close look. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the plasterers used a rough-cast technique known in Japan as "German wall" (doitsu-kabe) to model rusticated quoins, imitating the rough-faced corner stones of European masonry.
A traditional Japanese storehouse wearing Western-style corners and new plaster materials is very much a building of the late 1910s. The Agency calls it a storehouse of good quality, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Seeing the Storehouse
The Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse stands at the back of the estate, northwest of the main house, and its interior is not shown. How close you can get depends on the route set for each open day, so follow the guidance on site.
The texture of the quoins and the stone grains of the washed skirt are easy to miss from a distance. If you have the chance, look at the corners and the base of the walls.
Q&A
- When was the Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1919. It is the only Taishō-era building among the 8 registered parts of the estate.
- How is the Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse built?
- It is a 2-story clay-walled storehouse with a gabled pantile roof and a building area of 23 square meters, on a coursed granite base.
- What is special about the walls of the Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse?
- The lower walls are washed artificial stone, and the corners are modeled as rusticated quoins using the "German wall" rough-cast technique, under a plaster band at the eaves.
- What was the Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse used for?
- It is said to have been a store for household goods and clothing. A covered corridor links it to the Buddhist altar room of the main house.
- Can I go inside the Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse?
- No, the interior is not shown. Follow the route set on open days.
Basic Information
| Name | Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse (椛島家住宅蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 101 Otsuka, Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 40-0142 |
| Year Designated | Registered May 2, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-story clay-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 23 square meters, with covered corridor |
| Owner | Kabashima family (private) |
| Public Access | Not open daily; opened during exhibitions held mainly in spring and autumn |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kabashima Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011589
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property: Kabashima Family Residence (Itoshima City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.itoshima.lg.jp/s033/010/020/010/190/20181004152257.html
- Registered Buildings (Kabashima Family Residence official site, in Japanese)
- https://kabashimake.com/buildings/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
