Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Hyogo

Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse

Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse: The Largest Kura

Late Edo storehouse on the Kajiwara estate in Oshio, Himeji, extended in the Taisho era and renovated c. 1947: at 82 m² the largest kura there, with namako-kabe.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Hyogo

About the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse

The Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse (梶原家住宅内大蔵, Kajiwara-ke Jūtaku Uchi-ōkura) is a late Edo (1830 to 1867) earthen storehouse southeast of the south detached parlor on the Kajiwara estate in Oshio, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; extended in the Taisho era and renovated around 1947, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009.

The Inner Great Storehouse is a two-storey dozo-zukuri building running north to south under a gabled roof of round tiles (hongawarabuki). At 12 by 5.7 meters, with a building area of 82 square meters, it is the largest storehouse among the estate's registered buildings.

A Storehouse of Three Periods

Three phases of work are recorded for the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse: construction in the late Edo period, an extension in the Taisho era, and renovation around 1947. The national database lists all three in its date field.

Which parts of the building the extension and renovation touched is not stated in the published sources. The timing is telling, though. The Taisho era is when the Shizunoya tea room, the south detached parlor and the front gate went up, and around 1947 the neighboring inner storehouse was also renovated and the concrete book store built. The storehouse changed along with each wave of building on the estate.

The prefix "uchi" (inner) most likely marks it as a storehouse deep inside the compound rather than on the street front. A smaller "inner storehouse" of 24 square meters stands around the same courtyard.

White Plaster, Namako Tiles and Careful Details

The walls of the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse are finished in white shikkui plaster, with a lower band of namako-kabe tiles. The door opens on the west side, onto a covered walkway, and directly across that walkway stands the darkroom of around 1897.

Inside, both floors are divided into a northern and a southern room. The upper north room is floored with unusually wide boards.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to careful workmanship in details such as the brackets (mochiokuri) under the window canopies. The storehouse is registered as contributing to the historic landscape.

Seeing the Inner Great Storehouse

The Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse is part of a private home and is not open to the public. Set deep among the courtyard buildings in the southern part of the compound, it is unlikely to be visible from the street (not verified on site).

The estate's background and directions are on the Kajiwara Family Residence (Nishi-Kajiwara) page.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse; [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]

Q&A

QHow do you pronounce the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse in Japanese?: AKajiwara-ke Jūtaku Uchi-ōkura. The family name is read Kajiwara, not Kajihara.

QWhen was the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse built?: AIn the late Edo period (1830 to 1867), with a Taisho-era extension and renovation around 1947.

QHow big is the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse?: A12 by 5.7 meters, with a building area of 82 square meters, the largest storehouse on the estate.

QWhat does the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse look like?: AWhite plaster walls with a namako-kabe base, a door on the west facing the walkway, and finely made window brackets.

QCan I visit the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse?: ANo. It is part of a private residence, and neither the interior nor the exterior is open to the public.

Basic Information

Name	Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Great Storehouse
Location	457 Miyanomoto, Oshiocho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2009 (registered)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 82 m² (12 m by 5.7 m)
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; exterior from the street)