A Plank Storehouse of About 1929
The Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse, in Japanese 旧千田正家住宅板倉, is a two-storey timber plank storehouse of about 1929 in Mikajiri, Kanegasaki Town, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a gabled metal roof and a building area of 41 square metres; its registration number is 03-105, in the 89th round of registrations. It was moved intact a short distance, a technique known as hikiya, in 1995 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Walls of Boards Dropped Between Posts
The Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse stands north of the main house and faces south. A sill runs round the foundation, posts stand close together, and horizontal boards are dropped into the spaces between them to form the walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
There are few openings: a doorway on the south face and a window in the upper storey of the east gable, and nothing else (Agency for Cultural Affairs). With the walls almost entirely closed, the building reads plainly as a store.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape, describing it as a storehouse that shapes the historic character of the site. The main house beside it was registered under a different criterion, as a model of design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A store standing north of the house is part of the picture of a home of the early Showa years. Even after the 1995 move, the storehouse keeps that relationship, north of the main house and facing south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Up close, notice how close together the posts stand. Because boards fill each gap between them, the outer wall shows a steady rhythm of vertical lines, and the joints between post and board show how the planks were slotted in.
Then look for openings: apart from the south door and the window high in the east gable, everything is board wall. Walking from the east side of the main house round to the north shows how the two buildings sit together.
Visiting
The Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse stands in the grounds of the Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall and can be seen from outside on the hall's opening days. According to Internet Museum, admission is free and the hall opens from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (checked November 2026).
No official information was found on access to the interior. The hall opens only from spring to autumn, so check with it before visiting.
Q&A
- Where is the Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse?
- In the grounds of the Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall in Mikajiri, Kanegasaki Town, Iwate Prefecture, north of the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse built?
- In about 1929; it was moved intact in 1995 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse built?
- As an itakura: a sill on the foundation, closely spaced posts, and horizontal boards dropped between them to form the walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can visitors go inside the Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse?
- No official information on interior access was found; the exterior can be seen on the memorial hall's opening days (checked November 2026).
- When was the Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse registered?
- On March 27, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse (旧千田正家住宅板倉) |
|---|---|
| Location | 98 Mikajiri Yachinaka, Kanegasaki Town, Isawa District, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/03/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, gabled metal roof, building area 41 m² |
| Owner | Kanegasaki Town |
| Public Access | Exterior only (Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall opening days, free) |
References
- Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012085
- Former Chida Tadashi Residence Itakura Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/364774
- Chida Tadashi Memorial Hall (Internet Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.museum.or.jp/museum/657
Last verified: 2026.11.12
