About the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse
The Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse (河合家住宅東土蔵, Kawai-ke Jūtaku Higashi Dozō) is a storehouse built in 1824 at the Kawai Family Residence in Ichishima, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 28, 2000. Put up 19 years after the main house of 1805, it is the older of the two storehouses that survive in the compound.
The Kawai east storehouse is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building with earthen walls and a tiled roof, 38 square meters in footprint. It measures 3.5 by 2.5 ken, or roughly 6.4 by 4.6 meters.
Why the East Storehouse Was Registered
The Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a storehouse of standard construction with a board-clad base, and an element of the compound as a whole.
The point, then, is not rarity. Standing southeast of the main house and pairing with the west storehouse to the southwest, it helps frame the headman's house. Its ordinary build is useful in its own way: this is what a farm storehouse of the 1820s looked like, without embellishment.
What to Notice
A detached roof
The roof of the east storehouse is of the Okiyane type. A separately framed tiled roof sits on top of the plastered earthen body rather than being built into it, leaving a gap between the two. The arrangement is usually explained as fire protection: if the roof burns, the body of the storehouse can survive. It is why the roof seems to rest on the building like a lid.
The kuramae porch on the west side
The west face of the storehouse is a long side, parallel to the ridge, and an eave projects from it to form a Kuramae, the sheltered working space in front of a storehouse door. The entrance faces west; the main house stands to the northwest.
A board-clad base
The lower walls are covered in boards, the usual way of protecting the part of an earthen wall most exposed to splashing and wear. The west storehouse, built 61 years later, has a Namako-kabe tile-lattice wall on its east face instead. Seen side by side, the two show how the same household spent differently on its storehouses in different eras.
The east storehouse stands between the privy and a row building. Neither of those is registered, but the way the storehouse lines up with them is a clue to how the compound worked day to day.
Seeing the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse
The Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse is not open to the public, and the interior cannot be entered. The kuramae porch is inside the private grounds as well.
Only the exterior can be viewed, from the public road. The tiled roof and the upper wall are the parts to look for, though how much shows depends on where you stand. Take photographs from the road and do not step onto the property.
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Q&A
- When was the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1824, 19 years after the main house and 61 years before the west storehouse.
- Why is the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- As a storehouse of standard construction that frames the headman's compound with the main house and the west storehouse, it was judged to contribute to the historic landscape. It was registered on April 28, 2000.
- How large is the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a footprint of 38 square meters, about 3.5 by 2.5 ken, or 6.4 by 4.6 meters.
- How does the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse differ from the west storehouse?
- The east storehouse has a plain board-clad base. The west storehouse has a namako-kabe tile-lattice wall on its east face and a decorated lintel.
- Can I go inside the Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse?
- No. It is not open to the public. The exterior can be seen from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1545 Ichishima, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered April 28, 2000 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof; footprint 38 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (the Agency's owner field is blank) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the public road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001614
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kawai Family Residence East Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/114494
Last verified: 2026.10.03
