What Is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse?
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse (黒田清右衛門商店西蔵, nishikura) is a long early Meiji-period storehouse on the west 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 has two storeys and a tiled roof, is 18.3 m long, and has a building area of 88 m². The government database dates it to the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882, and lists it as registration number 28-0727. It is the longest and largest of the storehouses on the premises.
Why the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse Was Registered
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It adjoins the north side of the southwest corner storehouse, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the building that forms the west side of the plot. After the chain of stores turns north at the southwest corner, this one building covers most of the western boundary. Miki City adds that the west storehouse and the annex together make up the west side of the premises. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for that role.
It held stock and household goods. At 18.3 m it is far longer than the east storehouse (10.9 m) or the south storehouse (9.0 m), and it was evidently the main warehouse of a business whose stock had grown.
What to Look for at the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse
An open ground floor
The ground floor is what sets the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse apart. According to the government description, it is a row of four earth-floored Doma rooms. The room at the south end is left completely open-sided, and the two rooms counting from the north have open fronts.
Most storehouses protect their contents with thick walls and heavy doors; here about half the ground floor stands open. That makes it a natural loading area, where carts and porters could come right in to unload and sort goods. The upper floor is divided into three boarded rooms, where the stored goods themselves presumably went.
A long canopy on the east
On the east side, facing into the premises, runs a Sangawara-buki pantiled Hisashi canopy. The open fronts of the ground floor line up beneath it, so goods could be handled even in the rain.
A discrepancy in the record
The government database lists the West Storehouse's structure as a two-storey timber building, while its descriptive text calls it a long clay-walled storehouse. The partly open ground floor may explain the different labels, but the record does not settle which is correct.
Visiting the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse stands on the west 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 West 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 West Storehouse?
- It is 18.3 m long with a building area of 88 m², the largest storehouse on the premises.
- What is the ground floor of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse like?
- A row of four earth-floored rooms: the south end room is open-sided and the two northern rooms have open fronts.
- What was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West Storehouse used for?
- For stock and household goods, according to the government record.
- Can visitors see the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten West 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 West 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 18.3 m; building area 88 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 West Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013160
- Miki City History Museum: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/19137.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
