A Storehouse for Swords and Porcelain
The Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse (庄村家住宅東土蔵) is a merchant family's storehouse of about the late Meiji era in Shimadani, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 28, 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 31 square metres; registration number 21-0047.
The Strongroom at the Back
The Shomura plot faces the street on the south, with the Yoshida River to the north (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse stands at the back of the plot and was built to hold swords, porcelain and similar valuables.
It is a gabled, 2-storey building on a base of rounded cobblestones about 2 metres high (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A pair of hinged doors opens on the ground floor of the south side, and on the north side small windows with iron shutters are set one above the other. It stands side by side with the west storehouse, the two under one continuous roof.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the carefully finished plaster of its walls; it was registered under the criterion of being difficult to reproduce.
What to Look For
Look for the cobble base, about 2 metres high and taller than a person, with the plastered walls rising from it (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The hinged doors on the south side and the iron-shuttered windows stacked on the north side show a building made to keep valuables safe.
Visiting
The east storehouse stands behind the main house, on the river side of the plot. No official information on access was found; please do not enter the property.
Q&A
- What was the Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse used for?
- Storing swords, porcelain and similar valuables (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How high is the base of the east storehouse?
- About 2 metres, built of rounded cobblestones.
- When was the Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse built?
- In about the late Meiji era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the east storehouse?
- No official information on access was found.
- When was the Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse registered?
- On August 28, 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse (庄村家住宅東土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1145 Shimadani, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2001/08/28 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, 31 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on public access (exterior from the street) |
References
- Shomura Family Residence East Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002252
Last verified: 2026.10.20
