What kuramae means
A kuramae is a roofed space in front of the doorway of a clay-walled storehouse. It is formed by extending the storehouse roof down over the doorway side or by adding a separate lean-to or small roof. It gives room to move goods in and out with the heavy doors open and to work in rain, and it is usually left open without walls.
Storehouse doorways are closed by fire-resistant clay doors or heavy shutters, but these are often finished in lime plaster that does not stand up well to rain, and the kuramae roof also protects the doorway.
The space between buildings can serve as a kuramae. In townhouses the gap between the main house or a detached wing and a storehouse is sometimes roofed over and used in this way.
Reading the records and the building
Records state where the kuramae is and how it is formed. The first and second storehouses of Aizanso both have a kuramae on their east side, facing the interior of the property. The storehouse of the Ono Kimie family in Hirakawa, Aomori, a two-storey clay-walled building with a raised roof, has a kuramae on its east side made by extending the storehouse roof downward. The Ueda family storehouse in Kyoto, north of the main house, opens its doorway to the south and uses the space between it and the detached wing as a kuramae.
Kuramae usually face the inside of the property rather than the street. Aizanso's storehouses open only one door onto the street and place their kuramae on the inner east side, so the position of the kuramae reveals how people moved about the estate.
On site, check whether a roofed space stands in front of the storehouse door. Some were later enclosed with walls or doors to make rooms, so the date of the record should be kept in mind when considering the original form.
References
- 愛山荘二の蔵｜国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011681
- 愛山荘一の蔵｜国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011680
- 小野きみゑ家住宅土蔵｜文化遺産オンライン
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/171812
- 上田家住宅土蔵｜文化遺産オンライン
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/600792
Last verified: 2026.09.26