What Is the Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse?
The Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse (旧玉置家住宅東土蔵, Kyū Tamaoki-ke Jūtaku Higashi Dozō) is a late Meiji-period two-storey clay-walled storehouse, known as the "six-mat storehouse" and used for tools, at the north end of the service wing on the east side of the courtyard of the Former Tamaoki Family Residence in Honmachi 2-chome, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002.
The government record gives a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 9.9 m², registration number 28-0097, the smallest of the three registered storehouses. A back gate separates it from the north storehouse next door.
Why the Tamaoki East Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It caps the north end of the service wing that runs back from the earth-floored area of the main house, and it forms the east side of the courtyard.
Its nickname is simply its size. The storehouse measures 2 ken (about 3.6 meters) by 1.5 ken (about 2.7 meters), which comes to exactly 3 tsubo, the area of six tatami mats. The registered building area of 9.9 m² is, in effect, 3 tsubo.
What to Look for in the Tamaoki East Storehouse
A small storehouse under heavy tiles
The Tamaoki east storehouse runs north to south under a Kirizuma-zukuri gable roof of Hongawarabuki tiles, with its entrance on the gable end, a Tsumairi layout. Compare it with the north storehouse beyond the gate, which has lighter pantiles and an entrance on the long side: the smaller building gets the heavier, more formal roof.
Namako walls on the courtyard side
The storehouse sits on a stone base, and the lower part of the wall facing the courtyard is clad in Namako-kabe: flat tiles set in a grid with raised plaster joints, a finish that protects the base of the wall from rain and splashing mud. The careful finish faces the courtyard, the side seen from the formal rooms, rather than the working side.
Is this the Edo-period storehouse?
Miki City and its history museum describe one storehouse on the courtyard behind the main house as Edo-period work of 1826, with the koto-bridge crest of the Matsudaira family, lords of Tatebayashi, on its door. The Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse does face the courtyard, but the government record dates it to the late Meiji period, and the published sources do not confirm whether the city means this building.
Visiting the Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse
The best view of the Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse is from across the courtyard, from the veranda of the main house or the corridor on the west side. The stone base and the grid of the namako wall line up low on the far side of the garden. It is worth checking from there whether a crest is visible on the door.
Miki City's information says nothing about opening the storehouse interior (checked October 2, 2026). On guide days, Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, you can ask how the storehouse was used. Opening hours and directions are on the Former Tamaoki Family Residence page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse
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Q&A
- Why is the Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse called the six-mat storehouse?
- Its 2 by 1.5 ken plan equals 3 tsubo, the area of six tatami mats. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a tool storehouse known by that name.
- Where is the Tamaoki east storehouse?
- At the north end of the service wing on the east side of the courtyard. A back gate stands between it and the north storehouse.
- Where can I see the namako wall of the Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse?
- The namako cladding is on the lower wall facing the courtyard. It is best seen from the veranda of the main house or the corridor on the west side of the courtyard.
- Is the Tamaoki east storehouse from the Edo period?
- The government record dates it to the late Meiji period. Miki City describes one courtyard storehouse as Edo-period, but published sources do not confirm that it means this one.
- Can I go inside the Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse?
- Miki City does not announce any interior opening. The exterior can be seen from the courtyard side; admission to the residence is free, and it is closed on Tuesdays (checked October 2, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-454 Honmachi, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture (street address: 2-2-17 Honmachi) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 9.9 m² (two-storey clay-walled storehouse, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Miki City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the courtyard (free; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed Tuesdays). No interior opening announced |
References
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002678
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence East Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/138448
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence (Miki City History Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/12180.html
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence (Miki City Tourism Promotion Division, Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/soshiki/33/2986.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
