What Is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse?
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse (黒田清右衛門商店西南隅蔵, seinan-sumikura) is a large early Meiji-period clay-walled storehouse at the southwest 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 43 m². The government database dates it to the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, and lists it as registration number 28-0726.
Why the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse Was Registered
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It adjoins the west end of the south storehouse, and here the line of stores along the south side turns north toward the west storehouse. It is the partner of the southeast corner store at the other end of the south side, and a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in its own right.
Both the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Miki City describe it as large. It is also the only storehouse on the premises recorded as a place of work as well as storage, which says something about how a hardware wholesaler used its buildings.
What to Look for at the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse
A trapezoid that follows the plot
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse is not rectangular in plan but trapezoidal. The government description explains that it follows the shape of the site: the southwest corner of the property is not a true right angle, and the storehouse takes on that irregular outline. Rather than give up space at the boundary, the builders fitted the building to the land.
The only namako wall on the premises
The walls are Shikkui lime plaster, with a base of Namako-kabe: flat tiles fixed to the wall and their joints built up in raised white plaster. The five other storehouses whose wall finish is recorded all have vertical boarding, Tateita-bari, at the base; this is the only one described with namako work. A larger store that doubled as a workshop seems to have earned a tougher and more costly finish.
Earth-floored workshop and barred windows
The ground floor is an earth-floored Doma used both as a stock store and as a workshop for processing goods; the upper floor held household goods. The upstairs windows have iron bars, and a Sangawara-buki pantiled Hisashi canopy runs along the north side. The record shows that the wholesaler did not simply pass tools on but worked on goods here, though it does not say what that work was.
Visiting the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse stands at the southwest corner 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 Southwest Corner Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered in 2019.
- Why is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse trapezoidal?
- Its plan follows the shape of the site, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- What is special about the walls of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse?
- They are plastered with a namako tile base, while the five other storehouses whose finish is recorded have vertical boarding at the base.
- What was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest Corner Storehouse used for?
- The earth-floored ground floor was a stock store and workshop; the upper floor held household goods.
- Can visitors see the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Southwest 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 Southwest 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 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 Southwest Corner Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013159
- Miki City History Museum: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/19137.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
