What Is the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse?
The Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse (仙臺屋旧籾蔵, Sendaiya Kyū-momigura) is an 1892 clay-walled storehouse on Chuo-dori in Tono, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on July 8, 2008.
Momi is rice still in its husk, the grain as it comes off the stalk before hulling, and a momigura was a storehouse for it. The word kyū (former) marks that it is no longer used that way; published sources do not say how long it served or how much it held. It stands north of the front storehouse, on the far side of a work yard, roughly in the middle of the Sendaiya lot.
Two Floors to the South, Open to the Roof to the North
The Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse measures 9.6 m by 5.7 m. It is a two-story Dozo-zukuri building with a gabled roof entered from the gable end (Tsumairi), and a separate Okiyane roof over its clay body.
Inside it is divided into two rooms, south and north. The southern room has an upper floor, while the northern half has none and rises open to the roof as a Fukinuke space. One storehouse thus holds both a two-level room and a single tall volume.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs does not say how the two rooms were used. Unhulled rice is bulky, and the tall northern room may well have suited it, but no record confirming this was found.
A Namako-kabe Base
The walls of the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse are white Shikkui plaster, with the Hachimaki band under the eaves finished in black. The lower wall is Namako-kabe: flat tiles fixed to the wall, their joints built up in rounded ridges of white plaster, which protects the base of the wall from splashing rain and knocks.
It is the only one of the three Sendaiya storehouses with a namako-kabe base. The grid of dark tile and raised white joints gives it a different face from its neighbors, which rely on plaster alone.
Its dimensions exactly match those of the former grain storehouse near the front of the lot. The household built two storehouses of the same size and gave them different finishes, and the contrast is easy to picture once you know it is there.
Why the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse Was Registered
The Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Facing the front storehouse across the work yard, it holds the middle ground of the Sendaiya compound.
Within the line of buildings behind the street-front shop, it preserves a Meiji-era clay storehouse built to keep the household's reserves.
Seeing the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse
The Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse stands in the middle of a private compound, and no public opening was announced as of September 2026. With the main house and the front storehouse between it and the street, it cannot really be seen from outside. There is no official guidance on photography; please respect the residents' privacy. Directions to the compound are on the Sendaiya page.
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Q&A
- When was the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse built?
- In 1892.
- What does unhulled rice mean in the name Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse?
- Momi is rice still in its husk, as it comes off the stalk before hulling. A momigura is a storehouse for it.
- What is the inside of the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse like?
- It has two rooms. The southern room has an upper floor, and the northern half is open all the way to the roof.
- What is distinctive about the exterior of the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse?
- Its white plaster walls have a black eaves band and a namako-kabe tiled base, the only such base among the Sendaiya storehouses.
- Can visitors see the Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse?
- It is inside a private compound, and no public opening was announced as of September 2026. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 8, 2008.
Basic Information
| Name | Sendaiya Former Unhulled Rice Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 501-3 Chuo-dori, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2008 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 55 m², 9.6 m x 5.7 m (2-story dozo-zukuri) |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside a private compound) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 仙臺屋旧籾蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007168
- Cultural Heritage Online: 仙臺屋旧籾蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191890
- Tono City: Protection of Cultural Properties (list of designated and registered properties)
- https://www.city.tono.iwate.jp/index.cfm/48,14077,303,html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
