What Is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse?
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse (黒田清右衛門商店内蔵, uchikura) is a clay-walled storehouse of about 1927 at the northwest corner 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 and a building area of 19 m², registration number 28-0729. It was built to hold stock, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it now keeps household goods and documents.
Why the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse Was Registered
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The government description says it completes the street front of the house, and Miki City explains that the street front is made up of three parts: the shop and main house, the outer wall and this storehouse. That role is why it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
Most of the storehouses at the back of the plot date from the Meiji period; this one is later, from about 1927. The outer wall dates from the same time, and the annex on the west side was extended then too. Taken together, the dates suggest that the northwest corner facing the street was put in order as a single piece of work in the late 1920s.
What to Look for at the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse
A doorway facing inward
The door of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse is on its east side: a pair of wooden doors sliding apart, sheltered by a copper-roofed Hisashi canopy. The walls are white Shikkui plaster with vertical boarding, Tateita-bari, around the base.
The door faces into the premises rather than onto the street. According to the description of the outer wall, its inner side carries a copper-roofed canopy that forms a covered passage to the storehouse. Goods could move from the shop to the storehouse door behind the wall, out of sight of the road.
Iron shutter and boarded ceiling
The upper-floor window has a single hinged iron shutter, there to be closed against fire. The upper floor is boarded, with a batten-and-board ceiling (Saobuchi-tenjō). For a storehouse of only 19 m², a finished ceiling upstairs shows the care taken over even small buildings in the early Showa period.
Visiting the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse stands at the northwest corner of the premises and can be seen from the Himeji-michi as part of the street front, alongside the shop and the outer wall. Its doorway faces inward and is not visible from the street. No public opening of the interior is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Directions and the history of the premises are on the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse built?
- About 1927, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered in 2019.
- What is kept in the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse?
- It was built for stock, and today it holds household goods and documents.
- What does "street front" mean for the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse?
- It is the face the house turns to the road. Miki City says it is formed by three parts: the shop and main house, the outer wall and the inner storehouse.
- What are the main features of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse?
- Plastered walls with vertical boarding at the base, sliding wooden doors with a copper-roofed canopy on the east side, and a window with a hinged iron shutter upstairs.
- Can visitors see the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse?
- The exterior can be seen from the street as part of the shop front, but no public opening of the interior is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner 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 | Building area 19 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database (Miki City gives Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Co., Ltd. as owner of the premises) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; interior not open |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Inner Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013162
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Outer Wall (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013163
- Miki City History Museum: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/19137.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
