About the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse
The Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse (上原家住宅南蔵, Uehara-ke Jūtaku Minamigura) is a single-storey clay-walled storehouse of the early Meiji era in the south-east corner of a former headman's estate in Nagasu Hondōri, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011.
The Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse faces west from the south-east corner of the plot, under a gabled roof of round and flat tiles. The national database gives a building area of 60 m²; Amagasaki City lists 60.16 m².
The agency's date reads early Meiji with a renovation in 1986, that is, built between 1868 and 1882 and reworked in 1986. The Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse is the only one of the six whose registration record mentions a later renovation.
Figures That Do Not Add Up
The agency's description gives the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse a length of 11 metres and a depth of 9.7 metres. Multiplied out, that is about 107 m², far more than the registered 60 m².
Since Amagasaki City's list also gives 60.16 m², the two sources agree on the area, and the error most likely lies in one of the two dimensions. Published sources do not settle which, so this page records both and treats the exact size as unconfirmed.
Namako Walls and a Gunbai Door
The walls of the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse are rendered in mortar above a skirt of Namako-kabe, square tiles set in raised bands of plaster that protect the base of the wall from rain and splashes.
The detail to look for is the sliding door at the west entrance. Its face is finished in lime plaster and modelled with a pattern like a gunbai, the paddle-shaped fan once carried by commanders and still held by sumo referees.
The Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The agency describes it as adding character to a quiet garden: the west door opens onto that garden, so the gunbai pattern was made to be seen from inside the estate.
Seeing the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse
The Uehara Family Residence is a private home, and neither the grounds nor the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse are open.
The storehouse stands at the back of the plot with its decorated door facing the garden. It has not been confirmed on site if any of it shows from the street, and visitors should assume it cannot be seen. Please photograph only from the public road. Directions are on the Uehara Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was renovated in 1986.
- What is the pattern on the door of the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse?
- The sliding door at the west entrance is plastered and modelled with a design like a gunbai, a paddle-shaped war fan.
- How are the walls of the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse finished?
- In mortar, with a skirt of namako-kabe, square tiles set in raised bands of plaster.
- How large is the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse?
- The registered building area is 60 m² (60.16 m² in Amagasaki City's list). The agency's description gives 11 m by 9.7 m, which does not match the area and needs checking.
- Can visitors see the Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse?
- No. The Uehara Family Residence is a private home and is not open to the public, and the storehouse stands at the back of the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Uehara Family Residence South Storehouse (上原家住宅南蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-60 Nagasuhondori, Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 60 m² (the agency's description gives 11 m by 9.7 m, which does not match the area) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private home; exterior from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 上原家住宅南蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008517
- Cultural Heritage Online: 上原家住宅南蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/213833
- Amagasaki City: Uehara Family Residence (registered cultural properties of Amagasaki)
- https://www.city.amagasaki.hyogo.jp/manabu/bunkazai_0/1028308/1028313/1028795.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
