What Is the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse?
The Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse (魚橋呉服店北土蔵, Uohashi Gofukuten Kita Dozō) is an earthen-walled storehouse standing behind and to the east of the shop and main house of the Uohashi Kimono Store in Itokujimachi, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built around 1925 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2014.
A two-story Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a tiled roof, it measures 8.3 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 32 square meters. It dates from about the same time as the shop in front of it, and the two form the northern pair of the premises.
Why the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse Was Registered
The Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs explains that, with the south storehouse, it completes the layout of the property.
Placing one storehouse behind each of the two street-front houses is a textbook merchant arrangement: trade at the front, goods kept safe at the back. The north storehouse anchors the northern half and gives the kimono store its depth.
What to Look for at the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse
The Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse has a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Hongawarabuki tiles. Inside, it is split into north and south rooms, each with its own door and its own small Hisashi canopy. Two doors side by side on one storehouse show that its contents were kept apart by purpose.
The walls are plastered in Shikkui with a Hachimaki band under the eaves. The lower walls are unusual: alongside vertical boards, they are faced with split bamboo nailed closely edge to edge. The bamboo gives the dado a finer vertical texture than boarding does, set against the smooth white plaster above. The south storehouse on the same property uses a Namako-kabe tiled dado instead, so the two stores are finished differently at the base.
Visiting the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse
The Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse stands behind the shop and main house on private land and cannot be visited. From the Nozato road it is hidden by the shop. The split-bamboo dado can be seen in the photographs on the Himeji City and Agency for Cultural Affairs pages.
Directions are on the Uohashi Kimono Store page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse built?
- Around 1925. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014.
- Where is the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse?
- Behind and to the east of the shop and main house that faces the Nozato road.
- How large is the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse measuring 8.3 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 32 square meters.
- What is unusual about the walls of the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse?
- Above a plastered upper wall with a band under the eaves, the lower walls are faced with vertical boards and closely nailed split bamboo. It has two rooms, each with a door and canopy.
- Can visitors see the Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse?
- No. It is on private land, not open to visitors, and not visible from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 51-1 Itokujimachi, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 32 m² (8.3 m by 3.9 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (on private land) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010016
- Himeji City: Uohashi Kimono Store North Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001694.html
- Himeji City: List of Registered Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
