What Is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse?
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse (黒田清右衛門商店東蔵, higashikura) is an early Meiji-period clay-walled storehouse on the east side of the premises of Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten, a hardware wholesaler in Honmachi 2-chome, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2019.
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a tiled roof, 10.9 m long, with a building area of 43 m². The government database dates it to the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, and lists it as registration number 28-0723.
Why the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse Was Registered
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It stands directly south of the miso storehouse, which is attached to the main house, and from here the chain of storehouses follows the property line southward. It is one link in that chain, and that is how it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it served as both a stock store and a household store. The wholesaler's merchandise and the family's own belongings were kept in the same building, but apart, and the plan shows how.
What to Look for at the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse
Two stores under one roof
Inside, the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse has boarded floors, and on both levels a partition divides it into two rooms, set slightly north of the centre. Each room has its own large door, and each has its own iron-barred window upstairs.
With separate doors and separate windows, the building works less like one storehouse than two set back to back. The partition sits a little off centre, so the two rooms differ in size, presumably sized to what each was meant to hold.
Canopy on the west, boarding at the base
On the west side, facing into the premises, a Sangawara-buki pantiled Hisashi canopy shelters the doors where goods were carried in and out. The walls are Shikkui lime plaster, with Tateita-bari vertical boarding around the base to protect them from splashing and knocks. Plaster above and boards below is the finish shared by most of the storehouses here.
Visiting the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse stands on the east side of the premises behind the main house and does not face the street. It belongs to a working company and no public opening is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Directions and the history of the premises are on the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten page.
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Q&A
- When was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered in 2019.
- How big is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse 10.9 m long, with a building area of 43 m².
- What was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse used for?
- For stock and for household goods, according to the government record.
- What is the inside of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse like?
- Boarded floors on both levels, each divided into two rooms slightly north of centre, with a large door to each room and iron-barred windows upstairs.
- Can visitors see the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse?
- It stands behind the main house, away from the street, and no public opening is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 980 Honmachi 2-chome and other lots, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Length 10.9 m; building area 43 m² |
| Owner | Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open (inside the premises, not facing the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten East Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013156
- Miki City History Museum: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/19137.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
