A Rice Storehouse of 1888
The Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse (島一照下家住宅米蔵) is a two-storey rice storehouse of 1888 in Noma, Shodoshima Town, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 9, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 26 square metres; registration number 37-0241.
It is the oldest of the four registered buildings of the residence, and it stands on its own lot, 1506-5, apart from the other three on 1506-1.
An Earthen Store Opened Only on One Side
The Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse stands south-east of the main house on a north-south axis. It is a two-storey earthen-walled store of three by two bays under a gabled hongawara roof, with charred-cedar (yakisugi) boarding on the lower walls, white plaster above and a band around the eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The only openings are a door and a high window on the west side, which the Agency describes as a closed design. Built in 1888, 36 years before the 1924 main house, it shows the residence at its earliest surviving stage.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency calls the rice storehouse essential to the view along the path to the main entrance of the house, and registered it as contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
What to Look For
Look for the contrast between the dark charred-cedar boarding and the white plaster, and for walls with almost no openings. Because the door and high window are both on the west side, that face carries the building's character. Its place beside the path to the main entrance is the other key to reading it.
Visiting
The Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse is privately owned and not open. It is described as facing the path to the main entrance, but whether that path can be seen from outside the property has not been confirmed (as of November 2026).
Q&A
- When was the Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- In 1888, making it the oldest of the four registered buildings of the residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- A two-storey earthen-walled store of three by two bays with a gabled hongawara roof, charred-cedar boarding below and white plaster above, opened only by a door and a high window on the west.
- Why was the Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- The Agency considers it essential to the view along the path to the main entrance, part of the historic landscape of the country.
- Can I go inside the Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is privately owned, and no public opening had been announced as of November 2026.
- When was the Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- On February 9, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse (島一照下家住宅米蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1506-5 Nakasuji-ko, Noma, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/02/09 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, two storeys, tiled roof, building area 26 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Private residence; no public opening announced |
References
- Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004649
- Shimaichi Terushita Family Residence Rice Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/195649
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Kagawa Prefecture (Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/kenkyoui/shogaigakushu/bunkazai/culturalassets/culturalassets_16.html
- Modern Industrial Heritage of Hishio no Sato (Shodoshima Town, Japanese)
- https://www.town.shodoshima.lg.jp/gyousei/kakuka/shogaigakushuka/2/1/3151.html
Last verified: 2026.11.12
