What Is the Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse?
The Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse (旧玉置家住宅西土蔵, Kyū Tamaoki-ke Jūtaku Nishi Dozō) is a late Meiji-period two-storey clay-walled storehouse standing north of the western extension of the main house at the Former Tamaoki Family Residence in Honmachi 2-chome, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, on land that was once the neighboring plot, and 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 20 m², registration number 28-0098. It measures 3 ken (about 5.5 meters) by 2.5 ken (about 4.5 meters), second in size to the north storehouse among the three registered storehouses.
Why the Tamaoki West Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is its position: the storehouse stands on the adjoining plot to the west, and so records how the Tamaoki family enlarged the property.
After the family took over the domain office building in 1875, the rear block of the main house was extended westward and the household spread onto the neighboring land. Because the extension and this storehouse are joined into one sequence of spaces, you can see how two plots became one residence.
What to Look for in the Tamaoki West Storehouse
A trapezoid-shaped anteroom
The oddest feature of the Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse is the boarded room in front of it. Between the east half of the storehouse's south gable wall and the north wall of the extension is a kuramae, a wooden-floored anteroom, laid out as a trapezoid. A likely reading is that the trapezoid takes up the difference in angle between a storehouse built on a separate plot and the later extension, though no source spells this out.
A heavy tiled roof entered from the gable
The storehouse runs north to south, a two-storey Kirizuma-zukuri building roofed with Hongawarabuki tiles and entered from the gable end, a Tsumairi layout. The anteroom attaches to that south gable, which fits the gable-end entrance.
Visiting the Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse
The Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse is at the west edge of the property, behind the extension to the rear block. Miki City's information does not say if the anteroom and the storehouse interior are open to view (checked October 2, 2026), so the surest course is to ask a guide inside.
Miki City's newsletter names "the two storehouses seen from the Miki Station side" as a highlight, and from the river side you can see the storehouses lined up along the north edge of the property. Opening hours and directions are on the Former Tamaoki Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse?
- North of the western extension to the rear block of the main house. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it stands on what was the neighboring plot to the west.
- What is the kuramae of the Tamaoki west storehouse?
- A wooden-floored anteroom in front of the storehouse entrance. Here it lies between the east half of the south gable and the north wall of the extension, and its plan is a trapezoid.
- Why was the Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse registered?
- For its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, standing on the plot next door, it shows how the Tamaoki family expanded the property.
- How big is the Tamaoki west storehouse, and what is its roof like?
- It is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse with a building area of 20 m², 3 by 2.5 ken. The roof is a gable of hongawara tiles, with the entrance on the gable end.
- Can I see inside the Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse?
- Miki City does not announce any interior opening. Admission to the residence is free, and guides are on duty on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (checked October 2, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Tamaoki Family Residence West 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 20 m² (two-storey clay-walled storehouse, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Miki City |
| Public Access | Open as part of the Former Tamaoki Family Residence (free; 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed Tuesdays). No interior opening of the storehouse announced |
References
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002679
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence West Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/193679
- Former Tamaoki Family Residence (Miki City Tourism Promotion Division, Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/soshiki/33/2986.html
- A tourism base: the Former Tamaoki Family Residence (Koho Miki, February 2023, Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikinoeetoko/56670.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
