What Is the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse?
The Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse (佐藤家住宅小蔵, Satō-ke Jūtaku Kogura) is a small two-storey earthen-walled storehouse built in 1902 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 occupies the western corner of the grounds. At 17 square metres it is the smallest of the Sato family storehouses. Its front faces the inner garden, while its back stands on the public road. Of the eleven registered buildings of the Sato Family Residence, only the Main House and the Small Storehouse date from the Meiji era.
Why It Was Registered
The registration criterion is that the building contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that although this was a storehouse for the household, it combines with the stone wall to shape the streetscape. Its registration number is 03-0040.
The stone wall that runs north along the road from the Main Gate ends here. Where the wall stops, the back of the storehouse rises, so that from the street the low stone wall and the white kura read as one continuous frontage.
What to Look For
The walls are finished in lime plaster, but the lower part differs from side to side. On the three faces toward the garden it is araidashi, a render washed to expose small pebbles. On the single face to the road it is namako-kabe, flat tiles set in a grid with raised white plaster joints.
Putting the hard-wearing, handsome namako finish on the side the public sees makes sense. One small storehouse, two faces, one inward and one outward: that is the charm of the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse.
Visiting
The road side of the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse can be seen from the street outside the grounds, and that is where to go for the namako-kabe. The garden side, with its araidashi finish, can be seen free of charge from within the grounds on opening days of the Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility. The operator's website does not mention public access to the interior. 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 Small Storehouse built?
- In 1902. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 31, 2003.
- Where can I see the namako-kabe wall of the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse?
- On its back, which faces the road. You can see it from the street outside the grounds.
- Why is the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse valued for the streetscape?
- Together with the stone wall that runs from the Main Gate, it forms the historic frontage along the road.
- How big is the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey kura with a building area of 17 square metres, the smallest of the Sato family storehouses.
- Can you go inside the Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse?
- No public access to the interior is advertised. The exterior can be seen from the street and, on opening days, from the grounds free of charge.
Basic Information
| Name | Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse (佐藤家住宅小蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 17 square metres |
| Owner | Ichinoseki City |
| Public Access | Road side visible from the street; garden side viewable free of charge from the grounds on opening days; interior not regularly open |
References
- Sato Family Residence Small Storehouse, Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003029
- Senmaya Sake no Kura Exchange Facility (Senmaya Machizukuri Co., Ltd.)
- https://sakenokura.com/wp/kura/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
