A Meiji Storehouse North of the House
Tottori Family Residence Storehouse (鳥取家住宅土蔵, Tottori-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is an earthen storehouse built in 1906 in Toyonaka-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 October 2021.
It stands north of the Main House, its long axis running north to south and its front facing east. The walls are thick clay in the Dozo-zukuri manner, it rises two storeys, and the gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) is laid in Sangawara-buki tile. It covers 66 square metres and was repaired in 1996. The owner's website names Tottori Jūzaburō as the builder, and its firm date makes it one of the anchors for dating the whole compound.
On the east side a lean-to roof is carried on a beam and sloping rafters of rough, unplaned timber. There are two doorways on that side, both with sliding doors, yet inside each floor is one undivided room. The upper windows are barred with iron.
Why It Was Registered: Anchor of the Working Yard
The Tottori Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The official description calls it the key element in the view of the northern half of the site.
North of the Main House, this storehouse, the West Barn and the Rice Storehouse together form the household's working yard. At two storeys, the Storehouse is the tallest and most prominent of the group.
The roof ridge gets its own flourish: at each end a hotate-gawara, an upright ornamental tile, stands on top of the Onigawara ridge-end tile, sharpening the silhouette.
What to Look For
Walk around to the east face. The rough-timber lean-to is plainly practical beside the smooth clay walls. The two separate doors into a single room hint at a working arrangement, perhaps one way in and another way out for goods, though no source explains it.
Look up to find the ridge-end tiles and the iron bars on the upper windows. Fire and theft were the two things a storehouse had to keep out, and both concerns show in the details.
Visiting
The Tottori Family Residence Storehouse belongs to a private home and its interior is not open. The owner's website gives no public visiting information, so contact the owner in advance. No photography rules are posted.
The layout of the compound and visiting conditions are covered on the Tottori Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can visitors see inside the Tottori Family Residence Storehouse?
- No. It is not open to the public, and there is no visiting information. Contact the owner in advance if you hope to see the grounds.
- When was the Tottori Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1906, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was repaired in 1996.
- What details stand out on the Tottori Family Residence Storehouse?
- The rough-timber lean-to on the east face, the two doorways, the ornamental tiles at the ridge ends and the barred upper windows.
- Why was the Tottori Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- As the key building in the view of the northern half of the compound, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape.
- Where is the Tottori Family Residence Storehouse?
- North of the Main House, facing east, forming the working yard with the West Barn and the Rice Storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Tottori Family Residence Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1764 Kasada Kasaoka Goemon, Toyonaka-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 37-0454 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/10/14 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 66 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private home; contact the owner in advance) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Tottori Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014099
- Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Kagawa
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/kenkyoui/shogaigakushu/bunkazai/culturalassets/culturalassets_16.html
- Guesthouse Kachoen, official site of the owner
- https://www.kachoen.jp/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
