What Is the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse?
The Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse (旧安倍家住宅板蔵, Kyū Abe-ke Jūtaku Itagura) is a timber storehouse on Hidaka-kōji in Mizusawa, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, built in the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 June 2022.
It is a single-storey timber building with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 18 square meters. It stands northeast of the main house, just east of the path inside the front gate, and dates from the same early Meiji years as the house. An itagura is a storehouse clad in wooden boards, as opposed to a dozō with thick earthen walls. The Abe estate has one of each, so two kinds of storehouse stand on the same property.
Why the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse Is Registered
The Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse is Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 03-0115, registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a board-walled storehouse facing the street and shaping the historic townscape of the area.
Set beside the front gate on Hidaka-kōji, the Abe wooden storehouse shows itself to the lane along with the gate. At 18 square meters it is a small building, but together with the gate it gives the street its character and marks the edge of the estate along the old castle-town lane, and that role is what the registration recognizes.
What to Look For at the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse
The Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse measures 3 bays along its length (Ketayuki) and 2 bays across (Harima), running north to south under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof. The unusual part is the ridge. Instead of sitting on the center line, it is pushed toward the west, and the roof slopes down from there to east and west. The two slopes are therefore unequal, and from the gable end the outline is lopsided, closer to a lean-to on one side.
Posts are set every half bay, and the walls between them are clad in boards. With the posts so close together, the board walls are divided into narrow panels that give the building a steady rhythm. The door is in the south gable end, sheltered by a small Hisashi canopy.
Inside is a single room that was used for storage. The national database includes a photograph of the far end of the roof frame, so if the door is open during your visit, look up at the timbers that carry the roof.
Visiting the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse
Because the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse faces Hidaka-kōji, part of the exterior can be seen from the street. The offset ridge is easiest to read from a spot where you can see a gable end.
Ask when you book a visit with Oshu City whether the south door and the interior can be seen; the city's listing says nothing about opening the inside. Directions and visiting conditions for the whole estate are on the Former Abe Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- What kind of building is the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse?
- A single-storey timber storehouse with board walls, 3 bays by 2, under a gabled sheet-metal roof, with a building area of 18 square meters. Its single room was used for storage.
- When was the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse built?
- The national database dates it to the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882), the same period as the main house.
- What is unusual about the roof of the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse?
- The gabled roof runs north to south, but its ridge is shifted to the west, so the east and west slopes are different lengths.
- When did the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 29 June 2022, as registration number 03-0115, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I see the Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse from the street?
- Partly. It faces Hidaka-kōji, so some of the exterior is visible from the lane. To see it from inside the grounds, book a visit with Oshu City, held on weekdays from 20 March to 15 November and free of charge.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Abe Family Residence Wooden Storehouse (旧安倍家住宅板蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 Hidakakoji, Mizusawa, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), Registration No. 03-0115 |
| Year Designated | Registered 29 June 2022 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, sheet-metal roof, building area 18 square meters |
| Owner | Oshu City |
| Public Access | Part of the exterior visible from the street; grounds open by reservation (weekdays, 20 March to 15 November, free) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: 旧安倍家住宅板蔵 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014221
- Former Abe Family Residence (Oshu City official website, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.oshu.iwate.jp/kanko/osusume/4/3/889.html
Last verified: 2026.09.28
