Zorokuen Storehouse 1 (Kitamae Ship Owner's Residence, Former Sakaya Choichiro Family Residence)

A storehouse facing the inner courtyard

Zorokuen Storehouse 1 is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse in Hashitatemachi, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, built in 1890 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 February 1999.

It covers 30 square metres. Zorokuen Storehouse 1 stands behind the main house and closes one side of a courtyard shared with the detached reception room and the retirement room. The doorway is on the north gable, sheltered by a roofed forecourt, and an anteroom is attached.

Of all the storehouses on the estate, this is the only one joined to the main house by a corridor. Being able to reach it without stepping out into the rain suggests it was in daily use rather than long-term storage.

Why it was registered

The criterion was contribution to the historic landscape, which covers ten of the 11 entries on the estate, Zorokuen Storehouse 1 among them. The listing recognises the building as part of an ensemble rather than as an isolated work.

Its situation differs from the storehouses on the street, though. Those form the face the estate turns to the village; this one faces the courtyard where the family lived. Same criterion, different audience.

White plaster over namako tiling

The wall finish is what sets it apart. The upper wall is white Shikkui plaster and the lower wall is Namako-kabe, flat tiles bedded with raised plaster joints. Every other storehouse here works mainly in vertical boarding, so Zorokuen Storehouse 1 reads differently at once.

Namako tiling is slow and expensive to lay, and it resists both fire and damp. Using it on a courtyard storehouse rather than a street-facing one says something about the standing of the building. Standing under the eaves of the north forecourt, the line where plaster meets tile sits at about eye level.

Seeing Storehouse 1

Zorokuen Storehouse 1 cannot be seen from the road, since it sits behind the main house. Reaching it means entering the estate and coming round from the main house toward the courtyard.

Whether the interior is open varies, and no primary source consulted here settles the point. It is worth asking in advance, including whether the courtyard itself can be entered. Opening hours and access for the estate as a whole are covered on the Zorokuen page.