A store at the northern corner
The east utensil storehouse of the Otoshi residence stands at the re-entrant corner where the north-east and north-west edges of the compound in Shinnobe, Befu, meet. With the detached wing and the retirement room, it helps enclose the back-garden space at the north of the site.
It is a dozo, a closed plaster storehouse, three bays by two, roofed with a gabled tile covering. Its build is deliberately shut off, with a single entrance set under a lean-to eave on the south-east gable end. Its building area is 25 square metres. Like the storehouse to the west, it was used to keep the household's utensils and tableware.
Why it is registered
The east store was registered on 18 November 1999 within the nine-building Otoshi group. A great headman's household kept quantities of utensils for entertaining and daily use, and dedicated stores like this one, closed and fire-resistant, protected them.
In the ensemble it is one of a pair, east and west, that book-end the northern cluster of buildings. Reading the two stores together with the detached wing and the retirement room shows how clearly the compound separated a private, service-oriented rear from the formal front.
What to look for
The character of the store is in its closedness: thick plaster walls and a single sheltered opening, everything arranged to keep the contents dry and safe. The lean-to eave over the south-east entrance is the one point where the sealed box opens.
The residence is privately owned and not open for regular visits. This store sits toward the inner north corner, so it is best understood as part of the back-garden group rather than as a building seen on its own from the street.
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Q&A
- What is a dozo?
- A closed, thick-walled plaster storehouse built to resist fire and keep contents dry.
- What did it store?
- The household's utensils and tableware, paired with the west utensil store.
- Where is it?
- At the northern re-entrant corner of the compound, within the back-garden cluster.
- Can it be visited?
- No; it stands in a private residence and is not open for regular visits.
Basic Information
| Name | Otoshi Family Residence East Utensil Storehouse (Otoshike Jutaku Higashi-jukigura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 881 Shinnobe, Befu-cho, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Registered | 18 November 1999 |
| Structure | Wooden plaster storehouse, one storey, gabled tile roof; building area approx. 25 sq m; 1 building |
| Period | Edo period, 19th century |
| Access | Part of a private residence; not open for regular visits |
References
- Kakogawa City — Otoshi Family Residence, nine Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.kakogawa.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyouiku/kakuka/kyoikushidobu/bunkazai_cyosa/bunkazai/kunitourokukaisetu/kunitourokuootosikejuutaku.html
- Kakogawa City — List of designated and registered cultural properties
- https://www.city.kakogawa.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyouiku/kakuka/kyoikushidobu/bunkazai_cyosa/bunkazai/siteitourokubunkazaiitiran20230320.html
- Kakogawa City — Registered cultural properties, individual entries
- https://www.city.kakogawa.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyouiku/kakuka/kyoikushidobu/bunkazai_cyosa/bunkazai/kunitourokukaisetu/index.html
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — Cultural Properties
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/
Last verified: 2026.07.04