What Is the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse?
The Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse (佐藤家住宅文庫蔵, Satō-ke Jūtaku Bunkogura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse built in 1923 on the Yokoya Sake Brewery and Sato Family Residence site in Senmaya, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.
It stands on the northeast edge of the grounds, just north of the Harada Gate, with a building area of 44 square metres. The roof is gabled and tiled in interlocking pantiles, and the entrance is in the gable end. The year the roof frame went up is known from an ink inscription. A bunkogura is the storehouse where a household kept its books, ledgers and most valued belongings.
Why It Was Registered
The registration criterion is that the building serves as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the quality of the carpentry and plastering, visible in the wall finishes and the treatment of the windows. Its registration number is 03-0037.
Across the Harada Gate to the south stands the New Storehouse of 1922. Both split their walls into three tiers with brick at the base, which suggests the family built a matched pair a year apart. With the gate between them, they form a single run of façades along the northeast side of the grounds.
What to Look For
Narrow ledges called mizukiri divide each wall into three bands. The lowest is brick, the upper two are white lime plaster: brick where rain splashes back from the ground, plaster above. It is a sensible division of materials.
The windows are what catch the eye. Each small opening has its own heavy pair of hinged doors and a little hood, and they are scattered across the walls. Closed, the heavy doors guard the contents against fire and theft, so the storehouse keeps its defences while the façade gains a rhythm.
Because the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse presents its gable to the grounds, the best way to frame the triangular end and all three wall bands together is from beside the Harada Gate, looking up at a slight angle.
Visiting
On opening days of the Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility, the exterior of the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse can be seen from the grounds free of charge. The operator's website does not describe regular access to the interior, so plan on viewing it from outside; if you hope to go in, contact Senmaya Machizukuri Co., Ltd. (tel. 0191-53-2070) in advance. Directions, opening days and hours are on the page for the Yokoya Sake Brewery and Sato Family Residence.
Q&A
- When was the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse built?
- In 1923, a date known from an ink inscription. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 31, 2003.
- How are the walls of the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse built?
- They are divided into three bands by small ledges, with brick at the base and lime plaster on the two upper bands.
- How does the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse differ from the New Storehouse?
- The New Storehouse, built in 1922, stands south of the Harada Gate and shares the three-band wall with a brick base. The Document Storehouse stands out for its many small windows with hinged fireproof doors.
- Can you visit the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse?
- You can see the outside free of charge from the grounds on opening days. The interior is not regularly open, so check with the operator first if you want to go in.
- Where is the Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse?
- On the northeast edge of the grounds, immediately north of the Harada Gate.
Basic Information
| Name | Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse (佐藤家住宅文庫蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 134 Kitakata, Senmaya, Senmaya-cho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/1/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 44 square metres |
| Owner | Ichinoseki City |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable free of charge from the grounds on opening days; interior not regularly open |
References
- Sato Family Residence Document Storehouse, Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003026
- Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility (Senmaya Machizukuri Co., Ltd.)
- https://sakenokura.com/wp/kura/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
