Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse

Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse: Fine Plasterwork

A mid-Meiji two-storey storehouse in the southwest corner of the Kawabata estate in Fujioka, Gunma, with a sheltered entrance, shuttered gables and molded eaves.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

What Is the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse?

The Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse (川端家住宅奥蔵, Kawabata-ke Jūtaku Okugura) is a two-storey storehouse in the southwest corner of the Kawabata estate in Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, built around the middle Meiji period and registered in 2001 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

It runs north to south under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles, with a building area of 79 square meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a solid, weighty storehouse. The Pawn Storehouse, of the same size, stands directly behind it.

Okugura means roughly "the storehouse at the back," which fits its position, as far as possible from the Great Gate on the east side.

Why the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse Was Registered

The Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion "a model of form."

The Agency highlights the care evident throughout. The sheltered entrance, the hinged double doors, the gable windows and the molded eaves all show attention, and that is the basis of the assessment.

The Pawn Storehouse next door treats its eaves plainly. Compare the two and the Rear Storehouse is clearly the more formally finished.

Highlights of the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse

On the east side of the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse, the side facing the Main House, a roof projects over the entrance. Behind it are heavy hinged doors, so goods could be moved in and out even in the rain.

Both gable ends have upper-floor windows closed by hinged double shutters. Storehouse windows were built to be sealed against fire, and the thickness of those shutters is part of the gable’s character.

Under the eaves runs a molded plaster cornice, built up in layers into stepped profiles, a labor-intensive piece of plasterwork. According to the owners’ website, the storehouse has since been fitted out so comfortably that one could live in it, with furniture and lighting chosen by the present occupants.

Visiting the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse

The Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse is in the far southwest corner of the estate and is hard to see from outside. The residence is private and not open to the public.

Its fitted-out interior may be accessible as part of the owners’ reservation-only services for filming or events. Confirm which buildings are included, and what may be photographed, when you book.

History and transport details are on the Kawabata Family Residence page.

Q&A

QWhere is the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse?: AIn the southwest corner of the estate, with the Pawn Storehouse of the same size directly behind it.

QWhat is the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse like?: AA two-storey gabled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 79 square meters, built around the middle Meiji period.

QWhat details should I look for on the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse?: AThe sheltered east entrance with hinged doors, the shuttered upper windows in both gables and the molded plaster cornice under the eaves.

QWhy is the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?: AIt was registered in 2001 as "a model of form" for the careful workmanship seen throughout.

QCan visitors enter the Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse?: AIt is not open to the public. The owners say the interior has been furnished for living, and access is by reservation only.

Basic Information

Name	Kawabata Family Residence Rear Storehouse
Location	391 Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2001 (Heisei 13)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 79 m²
Owner	Kawabata Hozensha
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; reservation-only use for filming and events)