A Storehouse Patterned Like Cloisonne
The lower wall of the tool storehouse at the Takatsu family residence carries a band of namako-kabe, the raised-plaster tilework named for the sea cucumber whose ridged back it resembles. Here the tiles are set in a shippo pattern of interlocking circles, the same motif found on cloisonne enamel, giving an ordinary farm storehouse a decorative face that rewards a close look. The building stands on the western edge of the compound in Fukashino, a settlement in the Mikunino district of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, home to a family that practiced medicine here from the late Edo period onward.
This dozo, or plastered storehouse, is the oldest of the five listed structures on the property. Built in the early Meiji era, roughly between 1868 and 1882, it predates the present main house by a decade or more and shows how the household was already investing in solid, fire-resistant construction before it rebuilt its home.
Why the Storehouse Was Registered
The tool storehouse was entered on the national register on 14 October 2021 (registration number 28-0774) as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, under the criterion of contributing to the historic character of the land. It was listed alongside the main house, the service block, and the two gates, the five together preserving the appearance of a rural medical family's compound.
A dozo earned its keep by protecting valuables from fire, and this one is built accordingly. It is a two-storey timber structure clad to the eaves in thick lime plaster, finished with a raised plaster band, or hachimaki, beneath the roofline. The roof is formal round-and-flat hongawara tile in a gabled form. What lifts the building above pure utility is the care taken with its street face, where the plasterwork and the patterned lower wall were meant to be seen and admired from the lane.
What to Look For
The east front is the display side. Look first at the shippo-patterned namako-kabe along the base, then at the doorway, where the surround is shaped into a mokko, a soft quatrefoil outline like a melon cross-section, and closed by a single sliding plastered door. These are the touches of a household that wanted even its storehouse to read as refined. The plaster is carried right up to the eaves, a deliberately fireproof finish that also gives the wall its smooth, pale mass.
The storehouse joins the well-and-kitchen block to its north, so the two read as a continuous run along the western boundary. The property is understood to remain a private residence and is not regularly open to the public, but the storehouse's decorated front was designed for exactly this kind of viewing from the road. Set beside the taller main house, it shows how the family extended its sense of style from the home to its outbuildings.
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Q&A
- What is namako-kabe?
- It is a wall finish of flat tiles set on plaster with raised plaster ridges along the joints. The ridges resemble a sea cucumber's back, which gives the technique its name.
- How old is the storehouse?
- It dates from the early Meiji era, about 1868 to 1882, making it the oldest of the five registered buildings at the residence.
- What is the shippo pattern?
- Shippo is a design of interlocking circles, the same motif seen on cloisonne enamelware. On this storehouse it appears in the tilework of the lower front wall.
- Why is it plastered all the way up?
- Thick lime plaster carried to the eaves made a storehouse fire-resistant, which was its main purpose: to guard valuables and tools.
- Can it be visited?
- The compound is understood to be a private residence and is not regularly open to the public. The storehouse's front can be seen from the village lane.
Basic Information
| Name | Takatsu Family Residence, Tool Storehouse (Takatsuke Jutaku Dogu-gura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 586 Kitatakuji, Fukashino, Mikunino-cho, Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Registered | 14 October 2021 (registration no. 28-0774) |
| Count | 1 building |
| Date | Early Meiji era (c. 1868-1882) |
| Structure | Timber, two storeys, tile roof; building area approx. 24 sq m |
| Access | Private residence; not regularly open to the public |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Takatsu Family Residence, Tool Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014069
- Cultural Heritage Online — Takatsuke Jutaku Omoya (residence main house record)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/520417
- Kobe Shimbun — report on the national registration of the Takatsu residence and other buildings
- https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sougou/202107/0014508963.shtml
Last verified: 2026.07.04