Two Storehouses Under One Roof
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses (黒沢治助商店一番蔵及び二番蔵, Kurosawa Jisuke Shōten Ichiban-gura oyobi Niban-gura) are a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse building southeast of the main house of Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten in Fukuoka, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, dated 1918 and 1931, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2009.
The two stores run end to end on an east-west line and form a single building, which is how they were registered. At 19 by 7.2 metres, with a building area of 175 square metres, it is the largest structure on the property. The roof is now of sheet metal, with a Hisashi canopy along the north face. The building was refurbished in 1968.
Why It Was Registered: Plasterwork
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses share with the store a distinction among the eight structures on the site: both were registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property that would be difficult to reproduce.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises the heavy, carefully finished exterior. The value lies in the walls. Combining two colours of Shikkui lime plaster with Namako-kabe tiling is slow, skilled work that would be hard to match today. The recorded dates, 1918 and 1931, also show the family adding storage as the business grew.
What to Look For: Black and White
The walls of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses are finished mostly in white plaster, with namako-kabe along the base: square flat tiles set in plaster, their joints raised into rounded white ridges that protect the lower wall from rain and knocks.
The black is what catches the eye. The Hachimaki, a thick band of plaster built out beneath the eaves, and the double-leaf Kakegonuri doors with their stepped, fire-sealing edges are finished in black plaster, and their corners are picked out in white. Black bands and black doors sit on the white body, with fine white lines tracing their outlines.
Seeing the Storehouses
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses stand southeast of the main house, toward the back of the plot, and cannot be taken in as a whole from the street. No interior opening has been announced (checked 29 September 2026).
We found no occasion to see the black-plastered band and doors at close range. The site is private property, so please stay outside the gate.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Iwate
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses
- [ Visit Hiraizumi & Chusonji Temple World Heritage ]
Q&A
- How old are the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the dates 1918 and 1931. The building was refurbished in 1968.
- Are the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses one building or two?
- Two storehouses joined end to end in a single building, registered as one building.
- What is distinctive about the walls of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses?
- White lime plaster with a namako-kabe tiled base, and a black-plastered band under the eaves and black double doors, their corners edged in white.
- Why are the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- They were registered on 2 November 2009 as a structure difficult to reproduce, for the quality of their plasterwork.
- Can I see the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses?
- Not easily. They stand toward the back of the plot, and no interior opening has been announced.
Basic Information
| Name | Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten No. 1 and No. 2 Storehouses (黒沢治助商店一番蔵及び二番蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6 Nakamachi, Fukuoka, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/2 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, sheet-metal roof, building area 175 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Interior not open (hard to see from the street) |
References
- 黒沢治助商店一番蔵及び二番蔵 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007830
- 黒沢治助商店一番蔵及び二番蔵 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/145091
Last verified: 2026.09.29
