What Is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse?
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse (黒田清右衛門商店東南隅蔵, tōnan-sumikura) is an early Meiji-period clay-walled storehouse at the southeast 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 25 m². The government database dates it to the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, and lists it as registration number 28-0724.
Why the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse Was Registered
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It adjoins the south end of the east storehouse, and at this point the line of storehouses running down the east side turns the corner to run along the south side. It is the hinge of the chain, and as such a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
Its floors are boarded, and the government record says it held stock and household goods. As with the other corner store, its name is simply its position on the plot.
What to Look for at the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse
A gable rising behind the east store
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse has a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri). The detail to look for is how it meets the east storehouse. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, its ridge is shifted west of the east store's ridge, so that its north gable wall shows above the east storehouse roof.
The builders could have run the two ridges into one continuous roof, but they chose not to. Seen from the north, the triangular gable of the corner store rises one step behind the east store's roof, a way of marking the corner building with the roofline alone.
Small hoods and a north canopy
The window in that north gable has its own small hood, and the north side carries a Sangawara-buki pantiled Hisashi canopy. The walls are white Shikkui plaster with Tateita-bari vertical boarding at the base.
A roof framed on raking beams
The roof is framed on raking beams that follow the slope of the roof, with short posts standing on them to carry the purlins. A frame of this kind keeps the space under the roof open, which suits the upper floor of a small store of 25 m² where every bit of room counts.
Visiting the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse sits at the far southeast corner of the premises, the point furthest from 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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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered in 2019.
- Where is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse?
- At the southeast corner of the premises, joined to the south end of the east storehouse, where the line of stores turns from the east side to the south side.
- What is unusual about the roof of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse?
- Its ridge is shifted west of the east store's, so its north gable wall shows above the east storehouse roof.
- How is the roof of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse framed?
- On raking beams, with short posts standing on them to carry the purlins.
- Can visitors see the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner Storehouse?
- It stands at the back of the premises, away from the street, and no public opening is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southeast Corner 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 25 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 Southeast Corner Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013157
- 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
