About the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse (梶原家住宅内蔵, Kajiwara-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a late Edo (1830 to 1867) earthen storehouse facing a courtyard on the Kajiwara estate in Oshio, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; renovated around 1947, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009.
The Inner Storehouse stands south of the darkroom. It is a two-storey dozo-zukuri building measuring 4.9 by 3.9 meters, a building area of 24 square meters, with a gabled roof of round tiles running east to west.
Namako Walls Where They Can Be Seen
The walls of the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse are finished in white shikkui plaster. Only the north and west faces, the two that look onto the courtyard, have a lower band of namako-kabe: flat tiles set in a grid with raised plaster joints. Namako-kabe protects the base of a wall from rain and damp, but here it has been applied to the sides people see.
The door is on the north side, under a small copper-roofed canopy. The storehouse is clearly composed for the courtyard, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as one element of that courtyard.
Plasterwork on the Window Brackets
On the upper floor, a window on the west side has its own little canopy, carried on brackets (mochiokuri) decorated with modeled plaster. This trowel work, built up by the plasterer layer by layer, is the most elaborate detail on the building.
Built in the late Edo period, the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse was renovated around 1947. The inner great storehouse next door was renovated at about the same time, and the concrete old book storehouse was added east of the courtyard. The buildings around the courtyard were all taken in hand in the years just after the Second World War. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Seeing the Inner Storehouse
The Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse is part of a private home and is not open to the public. Because it faces an inner courtyard, it is not expected to be visible from outside the grounds (not verified on site).
For directions, see the Kajiwara Family Residence (Nishi-Kajiwara) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- How do you say the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse in Japanese?
- Uchigura, meaning "inner storehouse".
- When was the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1830 to 1867), with renovation around 1947.
- Where is the namako-kabe on the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- On the lower part of the north and west walls, the sides facing the courtyard.
- Where can the plasterwork of the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse be seen?
- On the brackets under the canopy of the west window on the upper floor.
- Can I visit the Kajiwara Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- No. It is part of a private residence that is not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Kajiwara Family Residence Inner 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 24 m² (4.9 m by 3.9 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private home; exterior from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: 梶原家住宅内蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007902
- Himeji City: 梶原家住宅（西梶原）内蔵
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001799.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
