About the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse
The Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse (添田家住宅西の蔵, Soeda-ke Jūtaku Nishi no Kura) is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse built in the middle of the Meiji era (1868 to 1912) and moved in the early Showa era to the western edge of the Soeda family estate in Hanukita, Kitayama, Ishikawa Town, Fukushima Prefecture; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011.
The Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse measures 8.2 m by 4.5 m, with a building area of 37 m². It is the larger of the two two-storey storehouses on the estate and stands by itself, west of the main house and apart from the other storehouses.
A Family Crest on the East Front
The ridge runs east to west, and the east gable is treated as the front. The door and windows open in this face, and above them the family crest is modelled in relief in plaster, worked with a trowel in the Kote-e manner. It sits where anyone looking out from the main house would see it first.
The walls of the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse stand on a cut-stone base, are coated in lime plaster and have a Namako-kabe skirting. Above them sits a gabled pantile Okiyane, a roof built as a separate structure on the clay body. With its crest and its stone footing, this building is finished to a clearly higher standard than the soy sauce storehouse, whose walls were left at the intermediate coat.
An Earth Floor and a Move in the Showa Era
Inside, the ground floor of the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse is a bare earth floor, and the roof is carried on a Wagoya, the traditional Japanese frame of short posts standing on cross beams. Published sources do not say what the storehouse held.
The national database dates the building to the middle of the Meiji era and records that it was moved in the early Showa era, around the time the main house was built in 1933. Where it stood before and why it was moved are not recorded.
Seeing the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse
The Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse is not open to the public, and as of October 2026 no special openings had been announced.
Because the storehouse stands on the western edge of the plot with its crested front turned east toward the house, the road may show only its west or north side. Please stay outside the property. Directions to the estate are on the Soeda Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse built?
- In the middle of the Meiji era (1868 to 1912). It was moved to its present site in the early Showa era and registered in 2011.
- Where is the family crest on the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse?
- On the east gable, above the door and windows, modelled in raised plaster with a trowel.
- What is inside the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse?
- An earth floor, with a traditional wagoya roof frame above.
- How big is the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey storehouse of 8.2 m by 4.5 m, with a building area of 37 m².
- Can I visit the Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse?
- No. It is not open and no openings are announced, so please stay off the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Soeda Family Residence West Storehouse (添田家住宅西の蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 67 Hanukita, Kitayama, Ishikawa Town, Ishikawa County, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 8.2 m × 4.5 m; building area 37 m² |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no openings announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 添田家住宅西の蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008619
- Cultural Heritage Online: 添田家住宅西の蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/233080
- Ishikawa Town: List of Cultural Properties
- https://www.town.ishikawa.fukushima.jp/admin/hall/02/01/01/09.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
