A two-storey storehouse built for clothing
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse (コヤノ美術館西脇館（旧藤井家住宅）衣装蔵, ishōgura) in Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki, Hyogo Prefecture, is a late Meiji-period two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on November 17, 2015. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to between 1898 and 1912 and describes it as a store for clothing and textiles.
Its walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster under a Sangawara-buki pantile roof with an east-west ridge. The building area is 79 square meters. Compared with the single-storey rice storehouse on the same estate, at 48 square meters, it is larger in both footprint and height: the family gave its kimono a bigger storehouse than its grain.
It stands northwest of the main house, forming one side of the inner courtyard. The museum describes it as an unusual storehouse because it is linked to the main house by a corridor.
Why it was registered: the northern edge of the estate
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse was registered (no. 28-0631) as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, standing northwest of the main house around the courtyard, it shapes the northern edge of the estate.
The front gate and walls define the east side, the south side gate and its wall the south, and on the north it is this two-storey storehouse that sets the outline. Seen from the courtyard, its white walls are among the largest masses on the estate after the main house.
What to look for: two roof frames under one roof
Inside the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse, a thick wall divides both floors into an eastern and a western half. A lean-to Geya runs along the south side, sheltering two doors, so each half has its own entrance from outside.
The two halves carry the roof in different ways. The east half uses Nobori-bari, sloping beams that rise with the roof; the west half is a Wagoya Japanese truss built on bowed, naturally curved beams. Within one storehouse, the structural approach changes at the dividing wall.
No record explains why the builders treated the halves differently, but where the roof timbers are visible the change in direction and shape of the beams is unmistakable. From outside, the two doors on the south face line up with the two compartments within.
Seeing the kimono storehouse
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse stands on the northwest side of the courtyard, and its exterior can be seen across the courtyard from the main house and corridor. The south-side lean-to and its two doors face the courtyard.
The museum excludes storehouse interiors from its photo-shoot locations. How much of the interior is open, and whether you can go upstairs, depends on the current exhibition, so ask your guide. Photographing the exterior is fine without flash or tripod; in afternoon light the lean-to throws a deep shadow across the white wall.
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Q&A
- When was the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Meiji period, 1898 to 1912. It was registered on November 17, 2015 (registration no. 28-0631).
- What was kept in the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse?
- Clothing and textiles, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The estate has a separate rice storehouse, so goods were divided among storehouses by use.
- What is distinctive about the interior of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse?
- A thick wall divides both floors into east and west halves. The east half uses sloping beams, the west a Japanese truss on bowed beams, and two doors open under the lean-to on the south side.
- Where is the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse on the estate?
- Northwest of the main house, around the inner courtyard. The museum describes it as linked to the main house by a corridor.
- Can visitors go inside the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse?
- Access to the interior depends on the current exhibition, so check with the guide at the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building. The exterior can be seen across the courtyard, and photography is allowed without flash or tripod.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 139 Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered on November 17, 2015 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, tiled roof, building area 79 m² |
| Owner | Koyano Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Shown on guided tours of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Sundays; other days by reservation) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010861
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Kimono Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/276926
- Koyano Museum of Art: Floor Guide, Nishiwaki Building (Japanese)
- https://koyafron.co.jp/museum/nishiwaki/floor.html
- Koyano Museum of Art: Photo Shoots and Venue Use (Japanese)
- https://koyafron.co.jp/museum/nishiwaki/rental.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
