The Goyashiki Storehouse on the Street
Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse (郷屋敷（旧井上家住宅）蔵, kura) is an early Meiji-era storehouse on the street front of the Inoue family estate in Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on October 12, 2001.
It stands west of center along the facade, with the Front Gate and then the Rice Storehouse to its east. The national database records a single-storey dozo (fire-resistant storehouse) structure with a tiled roof and a building area of 50 square meters. The building is long and runs east to west, and it dates from the early Meiji era, shortly after 1868. The Goyashiki website calls it the kura, or nagaya (row building).
A Storehouse That Looks Like a Gatehouse
The Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. The roof is hip-and-gable with hongawara tiles. The south face, toward the street, has a lower band of clapboarding with sasara battens and white Shikkui plaster above, while the north face, toward the house, is Shinkabe work with the posts left exposed.
What the official commentary calls unusual is the street elevation: lattice has been fitted into the windows, giving the storehouse the look of a Nagayamon, the long gatehouse of a landed family. That mix of storehouse solidity and gatehouse openness sets the character of the whole Goyashiki facade.
Reading Both Faces
From the road, the Goyashiki Storehouse shows a continuous band of clapboard, white wall and latticed windows. It is not the blank, closed box people expect of a kura; the rhythm of the windows belongs to a gatehouse.
Once through the Front Gate, turn around and look at the north side. In contrast to the white street wall, it is a timber-framed face with visible posts, so the building has two quite different faces. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the West Earthen Wall that encloses the southwest of the estate ends against this storehouse.
Visiting the Storehouse
The south side of the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse can be seen from the road. The Goyashiki website says the south-facing storehouses along the street serve as a tea room, shop and waiting area, so part of the interior may be accessible when you visit. Ask the staff which rooms are in this building.
Watch for traffic when photographing from the road. Hours and directions are on the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) group page.
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Q&A
- When was the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji era, shortly after 1868. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
- What is unusual about the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse?
- Its street windows have lattices, giving a storehouse the appearance of a nagayamon gatehouse.
- How are the walls of the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse finished?
- The south face has clapboarding below and white plaster above; the north face is shinkabe with the posts exposed.
- How large is the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey dozo structure with a hip-and-gable hongawara roof and a building area of 50 square meters.
- Can the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse be seen from outside?
- Yes, its south face is on the road. Inside, the website says the street-side storehouses are used as a tea room and shop.
Basic Information
| Name | Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1987 Omachi, Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2001 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey dozo storehouse, tiled roof, building area 50 square meters |
| Owner | Not disclosed (no owner listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | South face visible from the road; street-side storehouses serve as tea room and shop (restaurant website) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Properties Database: Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002452
- Cultural Heritage Online: Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/167762
- Goyashiki official website: About Goyashiki
- https://goyashiki.co.jp/about/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
