An Everyday Storehouse by the Kitchen
Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse (福山市福寿会館東蔵, Fukuyama-shi Fukuju Kaikan Higashigura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse of the early Showa period northeast of the main building at Fukuju Hall in Marunouchi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 23 February 2012.
It measures 6.9 metres by 3.9 metres, with a building area of 27 square metres, and is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner under a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of Hongawarabuki tiles.
The south half of the ground floor is an earth-floored Doma, with a door on the west side leading toward the kitchen of the main house. Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse was the working storehouse behind the reception rooms.
Why It Was Registered
It was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs cites it as an example of a storehouse used for daily needs within a residence.
Visitors to villas tend to look at reception rooms and tea houses. Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse keeps its link to the kitchen and shows how the household actually ran, so the back-of-house side of the estate survives along with its showpieces.
What to Look For
The same walls as its western twin
Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse also sits on a coursed stone base, with Shikkui plaster walls and Namako-kabe bands around the lower part of each storey. The finish matches the west storehouse, but the building area is less than half, and the entrance is not on the gable end. Side by side, the pair shows one specification scaled to two different jobs.
An earth floor and a west-facing door
With the southern half of the ground floor left as beaten earth and the doorway turned west toward the kitchen, the layout was made for carrying goods in and supplies out. The orientation of the building maps the household's daily traffic.
Visiting
The city's visitor information says nothing about opening Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse to the public, so expect to see the exterior only.
It stands behind the main building near the kitchen area, so ask at the office on the day how close you can go, and whether photography is allowed.
Directions, opening hours and closing days for the estate as a whole are on the Fukuju Hall page.
Q&A
- Can you go inside Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse?
- The city's visitor information does not mention any interior opening. Expect to see the exterior, and ask at the office in the main building how close you can get.
- How large is Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse?
- It measures 6.9 metres by 3.9 metres, with a building area of 27 square metres, over two storeys.
- What was Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse used for?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse for daily use. The south half of the ground floor is an earth floor, with a west door toward the kitchen.
- How does Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse differ from the west storehouse?
- The wall finish is the same, but at 27 square metres it is much smaller than the west storehouse, which covers 59 square metres, and its entrance is not on the gable end.
- When was Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 23 February 2012.
Basic Information
| Name | Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse (福山市福寿会館東蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1-1 Marunouchi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and adjoining lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2012/2/23 (Heisei 24) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 6.9 metres by 3.9 metres; building area 27 square metres; 2 storeys, earthen storehouse construction |
| Owner | Fukuyama City |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced; ask at the office about viewing the exterior |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009221
- Fukuyama City: Fukuju Kaikan Japanese-style wing (Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/fukuju/16605.html
- Fukuyama Cultural Properties Navi (Fukuyama City): Fukuyama City Fukuju Hall and five other buildings
- https://fukubun.net/ja/collection/680
- Fukuyama Castle Museum: Fukuju Kaikan (Japanese)
- https://fukuyamajo.jp/miru/fukujyu/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
