About the Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse
The Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse (茂原家住宅隠居蔵, Shigehara-ke Jūtaku Inkyogura) is a three-storey earthen storehouse from the final decades of the Edo period, built between 1830 and 1867, at the Shigehara Family Residence in Obata, Kanra Town, Gunma Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 31, 2003.
Built in the Dozo-zukuri manner with a tiled roof, it adjoins the southwest side of the main house on a footprint of 35 square meters. That makes it the smallest of the three Shigehara storehouses, yet it is the only one with three storeys, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the most solid-looking building on the plot.
Living Below, Pledges Above
The Agency records an unusual split inside the Shigehara retirement storehouse: the ground floor served as a living room, while the second and third floors were used as a shichigura, a store for goods taken in pawn.
Inkyo refers to the retirement of a household head who has handed over the family business, and to the quarters such a person moved into. The ground-floor room is the likely source of the name. The Agency does not explain how the Shigehara family came to hold pledged goods.
Three Storeys Without a Floating Roof
The Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Its roof is the first thing the Agency points to. Unlike the other storehouses on the plot, it is not built with an Okiyane, the separately framed roof often set over a storehouse's clay body.
The building is entered at the gable end in Tsumairi fashion. The gable facing the garden carries a lean-to canopy, a Geya, and windows open on the second and third floors. Showing three tiers of wall to the garden, it reads as heavy and upright. The west storehouse next door, from the same period, is a two-storey building with a floating roof and its entrance on the long side.
Visiting the Retirement Storehouse
The Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse is privately owned and its interior is not open to the public. No special openings were found at the time of writing.
Its canopied, windowed gable faces the garden, and how much of the storehouse can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. Please do not enter the property, and keep photography to the public road.
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Q&A
- When was the Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the final decades of the Edo period, between 1830 and 1867. It was registered on January 31, 2003.
- How many storeys does the Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse have?
- Three. It is the only three-storey storehouse at the Shigehara residence, on a footprint of 35 square meters.
- How was the Shigehara retirement storehouse used inside?
- The ground floor was a living room, and the second and third floors held goods taken in pawn.
- Why is the Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. A three-storey, gable-entry storehouse without a floating roof, it has the most solid appearance of any building on the plot.
- Can I visit the Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned and the interior is closed. Its main gable faces the garden inside the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1445-1 Obata, Kanra-machi, Kanra-gun, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered January 31, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 35 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003065
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shigehara Family Residence Retirement Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/149675
- Gunma Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Gunma (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.gunma.jp/uploaded/attachment/677575.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.03
