What Is the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3?
The Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3 (旧菅野家住宅土蔵三, Kyū Kanno-ke Jūtaku Dozō San) is a storehouse built in 1900 in Setamai, Sumita Town, Iwate Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 May 2017. It stands on the south side of the Kanno plot with its front facing east.
It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a partial upper floor and a tiled roof. At 33 square metres it is the smallest of the six registered buildings.
Registration and Structure
Storehouse No. 3 was registered, as number 03-0096, for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says it gives a finished look to the rear part of the site.
It measures 9.1 metres along the ridge (Ketayuki) and 3.6 metres across (Harima): the same length as Storehouse No. 1 but almost 2 metres shallower, which makes for a long, slim plan. The roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable built as an Okiyane over the earthen body. Inside is one undivided room, with an upper floor laid over the western half only, a half loft above a single storey.
Read down the date entries in the Agency database and Storehouse No. 3 is the only one of the six Kanno buildings with no extension or renovation on record. Each of the other five lists work carried out sometime between the Showa and Heisei eras.
What to Look For: the Plastered Walls of Storehouse No. 3
The walls are the thing to see on the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3. Everything above the foundation stones is rendered in Shikkui lime plaster, and a Hachimaki runs round the top of the walls, a thickened band of plaster under the eaves that shields the joint between wall and roof from fire.
The east-facing front has just two openings: a sliding door and a single pair of hinged window shutters. That plain, tightly edited face is what finishes off the south side of the rear yard.
Visiting the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3
Storehouse No. 3 is on the south side of the Machiya Setamai-eki grounds. Neither the town nor the facility says building by building whether the interiors are open, and published information does not say which storehouse houses the gallery on the courtyard.
Ask at reception on an opening day whether you can go to the back of the site and look inside. The town's information says nothing about photography, so check that too. Opening hours and directions are on the Former Kanno Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3 built?
- In 1900. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 May 2017.
- How big is the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3?
- It is 9.1 metres long and 3.6 metres wide, with a building area of 33 square metres, the smallest of the six Kanno buildings.
- What is inside the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3?
- A single undivided room, with an upper floor over the western half only.
- What should I look for on the exterior of Storehouse No. 3 at the Former Kanno Family Residence?
- The walls are fully plastered above the foundation stones with a hachimaki band at the top, and the east front has one sliding door and one pair of window shutters.
- Can visitors go inside the Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3?
- Published information does not say. Ask at the Machiya Setamai-eki reception on an opening day (closed Wednesdays).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3 (旧菅野家住宅土蔵三) |
|---|---|
| Location | 13-1 Setamai-eki, Setamai, Sumita-cho, Kesen-gun, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2017 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, single storey with a partial 2nd floor, tiled roof; 9.1 metres by 3.6 metres; building area 33 square metres |
| Owner | Sumita Town |
| Public Access | Within the Machiya Setamai-eki grounds (closed Wednesdays); ask at reception about the interior |
References
- Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3 (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011442
- Former Kanno Family Residence Storehouse No. 3 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/289333
- Machiya Setamai-eki community facility (Sumita Town, in Japanese)
- https://www.town.sumita.iwate.jp/docs/2016051300011/
Last verified: 2026.09.30
