About the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn
The Kajiwara Family Residence Barn (梶原家住宅納屋, Kajiwara-ke Jūtaku Naya) is a mid-Meiji two-storey timber barn toward the south end of the west side of the Kajiwara estate in Oshio, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; moved to its present site around 1956, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009.
The Barn is long and narrow, 13 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 83 square meters. Its ridge runs north to south under a gabled roof of round tiles (hongawarabuki).
An Open Lean-To and Clay Walls
Along the east side of the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn runs a pantiled lean-to (geya) 2.5 meters deep, left open on its east face. It creates a covered work area where goods could be handled out of the rain.
The walls are of the exposed-post shinkabe type, finished at the second coat of clay (nakanuri) without a final skin of white plaster. The same finish is used inside on both floors. Where the storehouses are bright white, the barn shows the color of the earth itself.
A Barn That Was Moved
Inside, both floors are divided into two rooms, and the ground floor has an earthen floor.
Although the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn dates from the mid-Meiji era, it was moved to its present spot around 1956. The carpenter's storehouse on the southern edge was renovated at about the same time, so the working buildings along the west and south appear to have been reorganized together. Where the barn stood before the move is not recorded. Contribution to the historic landscape is the criterion under which it was registered.
Seeing the Barn
The Kajiwara Family Residence Barn is part of a private home and is not open to the public. It stands on the west side of the plot; whether it can be seen from the road to the west has not been checked.
How to reach the estate is covered on the Kajiwara Family Residence (Nishi-Kajiwara) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kajiwara Family Residence Barn
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn built?
- In the mid-Meiji era. It was moved to its present site around 1956.
- How big is the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn?
- A two-storey timber building of 13 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 83 square meters.
- What is the lean-to on the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn?
- A 2.5-meter-deep pantiled lean-to along the east side, left open as a covered work area.
- How are the walls of the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn finished?
- In exposed-post shinkabe style, left at the second clay coat without white plaster.
- Can I visit the Kajiwara Family Residence Barn?
- No. The building is part of a private residence and closed to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Kajiwara Family Residence Barn |
|---|---|
| Location | 457 Miyanomoto, Oshiocho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 83 m² (13 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: 梶原家住宅納屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007907
- Himeji City: 梶原家住宅（西梶原）納屋
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001808.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
