About the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse
The Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse (松村家住宅土蔵, Matsumura-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a thick-walled storehouse of the Dozo-zukuri type, built in 1936 in Daimyo 2-chome, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, and was entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on March 26, 2015. It stands in the northwest corner of the estate on a north-south axis and covers 12 square meters, the smallest of the three buildings on the property.
Matsumura Hisakichi, third head of the Jokyu soy sauce brewery, built it together with his main house and parlor as a place to keep the household's belongings. Small as it is, the storehouse shows two early Showa touches: a roof frame that buys interior height, and decorated metal grilles over its vents.
Where the Storehouse Sits and How It Was Reached
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the door of the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse is on the east side. The route ran out of the kitchen door of the main house and across a small courtyard garden to the storehouse entrance, which is sheltered by a Hisashi canopy. The layout tells you this was a store used by the household from the kitchen side, not one approached from the street.
The northwest corner is the point on the plot farthest from the street to the south. The gate and the Western-style house face the public road, the main house stands in the middle, and the storehouse holds the back corner, the most private spot of the four structures.
Raked Beams for More Headroom
The roof of the Matsumura Storehouse is carried on Nobori-bari, beams laid on a slope that follows the pitch of the roof. Because they rise with the roof rather than spanning flat across the room, they leave more open space overhead. The Agency explains that this gave the interior enough clear height to make the upper level practical for storage.
In a building with a footprint of only 12 square meters, headroom upstairs decides how much can be stored. The design gains in height what it could not gain in floor area.
Star-Patterned Vent Grilles
The ventilation openings under the floor are fitted with metal grilles worked into a geometric star pattern. The Agency singles them out as a modern touch: a small piece of early Showa design set into a storehouse otherwise built of earthen walls and roof tiles.
The vents are low, close to the ground at the foot of the wall. If you ever get the chance to see the storehouse, look down at the base of its walls.
One Story or Two, and the Registration
The Agency's database is not consistent about the height of the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse. Its structure field describes a one-story earthen storehouse, while its description calls it a two-story storehouse and refers to storage on the upper level. Which description matches the building has not been confirmed, so both are given here.
The storehouse was registered in the 80th round of registrations under number 40-0117, on the ground that it contributes to the historic landscape.
Seeing the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse
The Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse stands at the back of the plot, and no public opening of its interior has been announced (checked September 2026). How much of it can be seen from the street has not been confirmed, and there is no official guidance on photography.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukuoka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse
- [ Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine & Hakata Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1936, the same year as the main house and the Western-style house.
- Where on the estate is the Matsumura Storehouse?
- In the northwest corner. It was reached from the kitchen door of the main house across a small courtyard garden, entering on the east side.
- What decorative detail does the Matsumura Storehouse have?
- The metal grilles over the underfloor vents carry a geometric star pattern.
- Is the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse one story or two?
- The Agency's database is inconsistent: the structure field says one story, while the description says two stories and mentions upper-level storage.
- Can I visit the Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse?
- No public opening has been announced (checked September 2026). It stands at the back of the plot, and its visibility from the street is unconfirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse (松村家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-127 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2015 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 12 m² (earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Shoson Co., Ltd. (有限会社ショーソン) |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced (checked 2026-09) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010525
- Cultural Heritage Online: Matsumura Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/245085
- Jokyu: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, Jokyu Shoyu and the Matsumura Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.jokyu.co.jp/history/property/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
