A Twin to the Tool Storehouse
The Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse (阿江家住宅米蔵, Ae-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is a single-storey earthen storehouse of about 1948 standing west of the tool storehouse at the Ae Family Residence, 590 Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 24, 2021. It is built in the earthen-walled dozo style with a tiled roof and a building area of 68 square meters.
The rice storehouse and the tool storehouse to its east are almost the same size and form, and both face south. Each covers 68 square meters, and the two were registered on the same day as consecutive entries, Nos. 28-0765 and 28-0766.
The name suggests it was built to hold rice, but no record of how it was used appears in published sources.
Registered as Part of a Pair
The Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises not the building alone but the distinctive scene it makes standing in a row with the tool storehouse.
Two white storehouses of equal size, shoulder to shoulder, facing the same way: they turn the north side of the Ae property into a single composed view. That both were registered together suggests the pair itself was what was being recognized.
How It Is Built, and What to Look For
The gabled roof is laid with pantiles, a lean-to Geya covers the front, a large wing wall stands at the side, and lime plaster is carried up to the eaves, all much as on the tool storehouse.
The difference lies in the Agency's note on the interior. It describes the tool storehouse as a single board-floored room, but says only that the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse is a single room, with closely spaced studs between the posts of its plastered walls. The rice storehouse note is silent on the floor.
From outside, view the two storehouses together. Wing wall and lean-to repeat at the same interval, and the white walls run on side by side.
Visiting the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse
The Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse stands north of the main house and west of the tool storehouse. How much can be seen from the road has not been confirmed, and as a storehouse of a private home it has no advertised interior viewing.
Please stay outside the grounds. Visiting conditions and directions are on the Ae Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse
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Q&A
- What is the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey earthen storehouse of about 1948, standing west of the tool storehouse at almost the same size and in the same form, facing south. Its building area is 68 square meters.
- When was the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 24, 2021, the same day as the tool storehouse, as No. 28-0766.
- Why was the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- It was recognized as contributing to the historic landscape: together with the tool storehouse beside it, it forms a distinctive row.
- How does the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse differ from the tool storehouse?
- The exteriors are almost identical. The Agency describes the tool storehouse as a board-floored single room and the rice storehouse simply as a single room; both have closely spaced studs in their plastered walls.
- Can visitors see the Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is a storehouse of a private home and no interior viewing is advertised. How well it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Ae Family Residence Rice Storehouse (阿江家住宅米蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 590 Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), No. 28-0766 |
| Year Designated | Registered June 24, 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, building area 68 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Storehouse of a private house; Kato City lists it as open but gives no dates or visiting method |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 阿江家住宅米蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013863
- Cultural Heritage Online: 阿江家住宅米蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/544101
- Kato City: 阿江家住宅米蔵 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/16419.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
