About the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse
The Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse (水野家住宅土蔵, Mizuno-ke Jūtaku Dozō) in Shinmachi, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse of the Meiji period (1868 to 1911) that was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2007.
It stands directly east of the Mizuno Family Residence Main House and is small: three ken (about 5.5 meters) along the street and one and a half ken (about 2.7 meters) deep, with a building area of just 18 square meters. It is also the older of the pair, built before the Taisho-era main house beside it.
Why the Storehouse Was Registered
The Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse was registered on October 2, 2007, the same day as the main house, under number 21-0151. Like the main house, it qualified for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls its exterior elegant. A kura, or storehouse, is normally a plain working building for goods and household property, but this one stands on the street front beside the house, and it was finished to be looked at. That street presence, rather than its size, is what earned it a place on the register.
What to Look For
Matched Eaves and an Eastern Udatsu
The roof is a simple gabled form in sheet metal. At the front, the eaves were set level with those of the main house so that the two buildings read as one frontage, and at its eastern end the storehouse raises an Udatsu, a short roofed wall standing above the roofline. Together with the udatsu on the main house, that gives the Mizuno street front two of these raised walls.
White Plaster and an Arabesque Window Frame
The walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster. Look closely at the head of the window frame, which carries a karakusa arabesque, a pattern of trailing vine scrolls. Confined to this one small band, the ornament gives the flat white wall a single point of focus.
A Shingled Eave with a Gentle Upward Curve
The canopy over the front is roofed in Kokerabuki, thin split-wood shingles laid in overlapping courses, and it is given a slight convex swell known as Teri-mukuri. Wood shingles and a soft curve set against the metal main roof and white wall make up the refined exterior the agency describes.
Visiting the Storehouse
The Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse is not open to the public, and we found no notice of interior viewings (checked October 2, 2026). Because it stands on the street front next to the main house, the exterior is easy to see from Shinmachi street. The arabesque and the curve of the eave are small details, so look at the whole from across the street first, then step a little closer along the sidewalk without entering the property.
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Q&A
- When was the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse built?
- The national database dates the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse to the Meiji period (1868 to 1911). It is older than the Taisho-period main house next door.
- How big is the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen-walled building three ken (about 5.5 meters) by one and a half ken (about 2.7 meters), with a building area of 18 square meters.
- What are the main features of the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse?
- White lime-plaster walls, an arabesque on the window head, a shingled front canopy with a gentle upward curve, eaves aligned with the main house, and an udatsu firewall at the eastern end.
- When was the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- It was registered on October 2, 2007, together with the main house, under number 21-0151.
- Can I go inside the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse?
- No. It is not open to the public, and no interior viewings are announced (checked October 2, 2026). The exterior can be seen from Shinmachi street.
Basic Information
| Name | Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 925 Shinmachi, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2007 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 3 ken by 1.5 ken, two-story earthen-walled storehouse, sheet-metal roof, building area 18 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed (national database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006489
- Cultural Heritage Online: Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/171792
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Mizuno Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006488
Last verified: 2026.10.02
