A Storeroom Among the Service Buildings
Along the western boundary of the Ogawa Family Residence, where the ancillary buildings run north to south, stands the storeroom, or nando. It sits toward the northwest of the grounds, next to the maid's quarters: in the Agency for Cultural Affairs description of that neighbor, the maid's quarters is placed between the main house and this storeroom. The nando belongs to the row of service structures that kept the villa running behind its garden face.
A nando is a household's utility store, the place for bedding, tools, and provisions kept out of the guests' sight. It should not be confused with the small storeroom attached to the detached wing elsewhere on the site; this is the freestanding storeroom along the west edge, registered in its own right.
Why a Storeroom Was Registered
The storeroom was entered on the national register of Tangible Cultural Properties on 29 November 2006, one of eleven structures listed as a group. Utility buildings are the ones most often lost, so their survival here is part of what makes the residence unusual. Together with the maid's quarters and the guard's hut, the storeroom completes the picture of how a late-Meiji villa was actually kept.
The value of the listing rests on this completeness. A villa remembered for its guest rooms and its garden also needed places to store and to work, and registering those places acknowledges that the whole household, not just its public face, is worth keeping.
What to Look For on a Visit
Trace the western row as you walk the grounds. Storeroom, maid's quarters, and the other service buildings line the boundary in sequence, and reading them in order shows how the household organized its working side away from the guests' route through the garden and the main house.
Set against the main house across the site, the plain storeroom marks the far end of the social range a large villa contained. The residence is managed by the city of Miki and admission is free, Thursday through Sunday.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Storeroom of the Ogawa Family Home
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Questions and Answers
- What is a nando?
- A household utility store, used for bedding, tools, and provisions kept away from the guests' rooms.
- Where does this storeroom stand?
- Along the west boundary toward the northwest, next to the maid's quarters, in the row of service buildings.
- Is this the same as the storeroom by the detached wing?
- No. That is a small store attached to the detached wing; this is the freestanding storeroom on the west edge, registered separately.
- Can it be seen?
- The residence opens Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00, free of charge.
Basic Information
| Registration category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
|---|---|
| Date of registration | 29 November 2006 |
| Location | 3-6-24 Honmachi, Miki, Hyogo |
| Managed by | City of Miki |
| Access | About 7 min on foot from Miki Station (Kobe Electric Railway Ao Line) |
| Open | Thu-Sun, 10:00-16:00, admission free |
| Note | Freestanding storeroom on the west boundary, beside the maid's quarters |
References
- Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Ogawa Family Residence Maid's Quarters (adjacent)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/143281
- Miki City — Former Ogawa Family Villa (Kyu-Ogawa-ke Bettei)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/soshiki/33/2987.html
- Miki City Museum of History — Ogawa Family Residence (Registered Cultural Property)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/4099.html
Last verified: 2026.07.04