Fujiu Family Inner Storehouse: A Plastered Kura Joined to the House
At the northwest corner of the Fujiu main house, a white-walled storehouse rises above the roofline of the dwelling. This is the uchigura, the inner storehouse, a dozo built in the clay-walled, fire-resistant technique that farming and merchant families used to protect valuables, documents, and seasonal goods. Unlike a detached warehouse set apart in the yard, this one is tied directly into the household. It is one of the eight Fujiu buildings placed on the national register in 2007.
The storehouse dates to the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1911. It is a two-story dozo connected to the main house through a single-story reception room known as a kuramae zashiki, literally the room in front of the storehouse. The kura measures three ken by two, a compact footprint of roughly 1.8-meter bays, with a total floor area of about 56 square meters counting the attached room.
Why the Building Was Registered
The Fujiu storehouse was registered on 15 May 2007 under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country, alongside the rest of the estate. Its value lies in the way it combines storage and reception in one connected structure. The plastered kura kept goods safe from fire and damp, while the room in front let the family bring those goods out and use them within reach of the living quarters.
The construction is worth reading closely. The outer walls are finished in white shikkui plaster, with the lower section clad in horizontal weatherboarding called shitami-ita to protect the base from splashing rain. A doorway opens on the south face, and the west wall carries windows on both floors fitted with double plastered shutters, a detail that let the family seal the kura tight in a fire. The attached kuramae zashiki is a ten-mat room with a tokonoma alcove and a veranda along its west side.
What to Look For
From outside the compound, the storehouse reads as a solid white block against the softer lines of the timber house, its weatherboarded base grounding the bright plaster above. The double shutters on the west windows are the telling feature; when closed, they turned the kura into a sealed vault.
The inner storehouse is one link in a chain of connected buildings. The main house lies to its south, a tea room stands to the northwest, and the retirement house, water mill, front gate, perimeter wall, and Inari shrine round out the estate. The Fujiu residence is a private home and is not open to the public, so the storehouse should be viewed only from the road. Visitors who want to see the interior of a historic house can call at the nearby Hikobe Family Residence, which welcomes guests.
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Q&A
- What is a dozo storehouse?
- A dozo is a storehouse built with thick clay walls finished in plaster, designed to resist fire and to keep out damp. Wealthy farming and merchant families used them to protect valuables, records, and stored goods.
- Why is it called an inner storehouse?
- The uchigura is attached to the main house rather than standing alone in the yard. It connects through a reception room called a kuramae zashiki, so it sits within the household rather than at its edge.
- What are the shutters on the windows for?
- The west windows on both floors have double plastered shutters. When shut, they sealed the openings so the clay-walled storehouse could resist a fire spreading from outside, which was the main threat to a family's stored wealth.
- Is the storehouse open to visitors?
- No. It is part of a private residence with no public access. For an interior visit, the Hikobe Family Residence at Hirosawa-cho 6-877 opens on weekends and holidays from 10:00 to 16:00, with admission of 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujiu Family Inner Storehouse (Fujiuke Jutaku Uchigura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-1179 Hirosawa-cho, Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Registered | 15 May 2007 (54th round); registration no. 10-0215 |
| Period | Early Meiji era (1868-1911) |
| Structure | Two-story clay-walled storehouse with attached single-story room, tiled roof; floor area about 56 square meters |
| Count | 1 building |
| Access to interior | Private residence; not open to the public |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Fujiu Family Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006126
- Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Fujiu Family Residence
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/171392
- City of Kiryu — List of Nationally Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1001989.html
Last verified: 2026.07.02