What Is the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
The Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse (加藤家住宅内蔵, Katō-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse behind the main house of a merchant family's compound in Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in 1899 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2009.
An uchigura, or inner storehouse, is one tucked into the living quarters, as opposed to a storehouse standing on its own in the yard. The Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse faces the veranda passage that runs from the back of the main house to the bath, right on the household's daily route.
Why the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse Was Registered
The Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
It is small: 4.6 meters along the front, 5.7 meters deep, 26 square meters in all. Yet it is finished with care from foundation to eaves and shows the basic features of a Meiji-period earthen storehouse. Because the depth exceeds the frontage, the plan reads as narrow and deep. Together with the Hamazashiki beside it, it forms the northern edge of the compound.
What to Look for at the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse is a Dozo-zukuri building, timber framed and heavily plastered, two storeys high under a Kirizuma-zukuri gable of Hongawarabuki tile. It sits on a base of cut stone that lifts the floor clear of damp ground.
The walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster. At the eaves the Taruki rafters are encased in plaster but their shapes are kept, so no bare wood is exposed and the fire-resistant shell continues right to the roof edge. Below a small ledge partway down the wall, the surface changes to Namako-kabe: flat tiles fixed to the wall with raised white joints forming a lattice, which protect the base from rain splash.
Openings are few. There is one small window on the upper floor of the east side, and the only door, a single sliding one, is at the southern end of the west side, placed where it can be reached from the veranda passage in a few steps.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse is part of a private home and is not open to the public. It stands at the back of the property behind the main house and cannot be seen from the street.
The tile pattern and the plastered eaves can be seen in the photographs on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database. Directions and visiting notes are on the page for the Kato Family Residence as a whole.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- In 1899, the same year the Detached Room was altered.
- What does "inner storehouse" mean at the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It means a storehouse built into the living quarters rather than standing apart in the yard. This one faces the veranda passage behind the main house.
- How big is the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse of 4.6 meters by 5.7 meters, with a building area of 26 square meters.
- What are the walls of the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse like?
- White plaster above, namako tile-and-plaster below a small ledge, plastered eaves that keep the rafter shapes, and a cut-stone foundation.
- Can visitors see the Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- No. It is part of a private home, is not open, and stands at the back of the property where it cannot be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 53-1 Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 26 m² (4.6 m by 5.7 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007516
- Himeji City: Kato Family Residence Inner Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001740.html
- Himeji City: List of Registered Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
