Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse

Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse: A Two-Story Vault in White Plaster

An early-Meiji two-story storehouse for household utensils at the Fujiu estate in Kiryu, Gunma, with a separate okiyane roof and a tiled pent roof on its west side.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse: A White Vault at the Southeast Corner

The Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse (藤生家住宅土蔵, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse of the early Meiji era standing southeast of the main house at the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies it as a jūki-gura, a store for household utensils, a term that usually covers the trays, bowls and furnishings brought out for guests and family occasions. Built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, it is 4 by 2.5 ken, runs north and south, and covers 35 square meters.

How the Fujiu Storehouse Was Built to Last

The roof of the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse is an okiyane, a separate tiled gable roof set on top of the clay-plastered body rather than built into it. The gap between the two keeps summer heat off the vault, and in a fire, the thinking goes, the roof could burn away while the earthen body and its contents survived.

Along the full length of the west side runs a tiled pent roof, sheltering the doorway and its sliding door. Entry is from this west face, turned toward the main house. The walls are white lime plaster, and windows open on the upper floor on the east and south.

Why It Was Registered

The Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. In the words of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it pulls together the view of the estate from the southeast.

Most Fujiu buildings are single-story. A two-story block of white plaster at the southeast corner gives the compound height and weight on that side, and the pairing of the low thatched main house with the tall white storehouse is what defines the estate as seen from the southeast.

Seeing the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse

Standing toward the southeast of the property, the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse is among the easier Fujiu buildings to pick out from outside. Its east and south walls, where the upper windows are, face the outer edge of the estate.

The interior and the grounds are part of a private home and are not open. Please look from the road only and be considerate of the residents if you take photographs.

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Q&A

QWhat was kept in the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse?: AThe Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a store for household utensils, the trays, bowls and furnishings used for daily life and for entertaining guests.

QWhat is the separate roof on the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse?: AIt is an okiyane, a roof built on top of the earthen body instead of into it. The space between them helps keep out heat and protects the vault if the roof catches fire.

QHow large is the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse?: AIt is a two-story building 4 by 2.5 ken, with a building area of 35 square meters.

QWhen was the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse built?: AIt dates to the early Meiji era and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

QCan I see the Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse from outside?: AIt stands toward the southeast of the estate and is one of the easier buildings to see from outside, though the interior and grounds are not open.

Basic Information

Name	Fujiu Family Residence Storehouse
Location	5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0216)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 35 square meters; 4 by 2.5 ken
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence)