The Smallest of the Row
The Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse (島中家住宅東蔵, Shimanaka-ke Jūtaku Higashigura) is an earthen-walled storehouse built in the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882, in Oshokita 2-chome, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2021.
Of the three storehouses along the northern edge of the Shimanaka homestead, this is the easternmost. The middle storehouse stands to its west, and a small barn leans against it on the east. It is a single-storey dozo-zukuri building of 2 by 1 and a half bays covering 12 square metres, the smallest of the three.
In its note on the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse, the Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the row of large, medium and small storehouses as the defining view of the north side of the property. This is the small one.
Why It Was Registered
The east storehouse received registration number 28-0756 in the 99th round of national registrations, dated 2021/6/24, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
It follows almost exactly the design of the middle storehouse, only half a bay shorter. Matching buildings of diminishing size give the row its order and rhythm. Without it, the step-down from 23 square metres to 15 square metres to 12 square metres would not exist.
What to Look For
A smaller twin
The gabled kirizuma-zukuri roof carries hongawara tiles. Plaster runs up under the eaves and is modelled into the shapes of the taruki rafters; the walls are clad in vertical boards; a single window sits in the middle of the north wall. All of this matches the middle storehouse. The only difference is length: the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse is half a bay shorter.
Doorway and canopy
On the south side, a heavy sliding door and a pair of lattice doors fill the doorway, with a canopy above. The Agency's description of the east storehouse does not mention the curved mochiokuri brackets it notes on the middle one. Inside is a single room.
The barn alongside
East of the storehouse stands a small mid-Meiji barn that shares the storehouse's outer wall. At the end of the line of earthen stores, a timber shed rests against the last of them.
Visiting
The east storehouse is part of a private home and is not open; as of October 2026 we found no announcement of open days. We have not checked how much of it can be seen from outside the property. Please stay off the grounds and respect the residents' privacy.
A photograph taken from the north-east is published in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
Q&A
- When was the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882. It was registered in 2021.
- Can I visit the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse?
- No. It is part of a private home and, as of October 2026, there were no announced public openings. The national database has a photograph of the exterior.
- How big is the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey building of 2 by 1 and a half bays with a building area of 12 square metres, the smallest of the three storehouses on the property.
- How does the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse differ from the middle storehouse?
- The roof, eaves, walls, window and doorway follow the same design, but the east storehouse is half a bay shorter. Only the middle storehouse is described with curved brackets under its canopy.
- What is the small building next to the Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse?
- The Shimanaka Family Residence Barn, also a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. It dates from the mid-Meiji era and shares the storehouse's outer wall.
Basic Information
| Name | Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse (島中家住宅東蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 126 Oshokita 2-chome, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/6/24 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, single storey, tiled roof, building area 12 square metres (2 by 1 and a half bays) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (private residence) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence; no openings announced) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013853
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shimanaka Family Residence East Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/572132
Last verified: 2026.10.08
