About the Endo Family Residence Storehouse
The Endo Family Residence Storehouse (遠藤家住宅蔵, Endō-ke Jūtaku Kura) is a 2-storey brick storehouse built around 1919 at 5-18 Minami 6-jo Nishi in Chuo Ward, Sapporo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 7, 2014.
The Endo Family Residence Storehouse is attached to the northwest corner of the main house, so the two form one continuous block. It has a tiled roof and a building area of 54 m². Of the six registered structures on the Endo estate, it is the only one built entirely of brick.
Why the Storehouse Was Registered
The Endo Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, together with the brick north wall of the main house, it gives the street a heavy, substantial frontage.
What sets it apart is the way a Japanese storehouse, or kura, has been dressed in the vocabulary of Western classical architecture. The bond of the brickwork, the gable ends, the eaves and even the roof framing all follow Western models.
Overburnt Brick in English Bond
The walls of the Endo Family Residence Storehouse are laid in English bond using overburnt bricks, the ones that sat closest to the fire in the kiln and came out dark and hard. They are deeper in colour than ordinary red brick and give the walls a sombre tone.
English bond alternates a course of stretchers, bricks laid lengthwise, with a course of headers, bricks laid end-on. Stand close to the wall and you can see it: a row of long rectangles, then a row of small squares, repeating all the way up.
Broken Pediments, Dentils and a King Post Roof
Both gable ends of the Endo Family Residence Storehouse are treated as broken pediments, triangular gables whose sloping cornices stop short of meeting at the apex, and each has a window with its own small hood. Under the eaves runs a projecting cornice trimmed with dentils, a row of small square blocks set like teeth.
The roof is carried on a King post truss, a Western framing system of a central upright and diagonal members forming a triangle. The staircase inside is also Western in design, so the storehouse follows Western practice even in the parts nobody sees from the street.
Seeing the Endo Family Residence Storehouse
The interior of the Endo Family Residence Storehouse is not open. Because it stands at the northwest of the estate facing the street on the north, that street is the place to see it from. The pediments and the dentilled cornice are high up, so step back a little to take in their shape.
No official guidance on photography could be found as of October 2026.
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Q&A
- When was the Endo Family Residence Storehouse built?
- Around 1919, the same date the Agency gives for the main house.
- Why is the Endo Family Residence Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2014 because, together with the brick north wall of the main house, it forms a substantial historic streetscape.
- How is the brick of the Endo Family Residence Storehouse laid?
- Dark, hard overburnt bricks are laid in English bond, with courses of stretchers and headers alternating.
- What Western details does the Endo Family Residence Storehouse have?
- Broken pediments with hooded windows on both gables, a cornice with dentils, a king post truss roof and a Western-style staircase inside.
- Where can I see the Endo Family Residence Storehouse from?
- From the street on the north side of the estate. The interior is not open.
Basic Information
| Name | Endo Family Residence Storehouse (遠藤家住宅蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-18 Minami 6-jo Nishi and others, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2014 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 54 m² (2-storey, brick) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | Not open (exterior viewable from outside the grounds only) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Endo Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010089
- Cultural Heritage Online: Endo Family Residence Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/262242
- City of Sapporo: Cultural Properties of Sapporo, Endo Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.sapporo.jp/shimin/bunkazai/pdf/documents/p56_endoke_ol.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
