The Storehouse
The Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse (旧鯵坂家住宅蔵) is the storehouse of a house compound of the late Meiji period (1898–1912) in Kaseda Takeda, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 21, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey storehouse with a tile roof and a building area of 63 square metres; registration number 46-0107.
It stands in the south-east corner of the plot with its ridge running east to west, 6 metres long and 5 metres deep (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Plaster Walls on a Stone Base
The Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse is a two-storey building of clay-walled storehouse construction under a gabled roof of pantiles (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Three courses of dressed stone, laid to about waist height, form the base, and the walls above are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster. The west wall has a small window on each floor.
Two lean-to roofs are attached, and they are not alike: on the east side the lean-to is walled in the same clay-and-plaster construction, while the one sheltering the doorway on the north side is open on its sides.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape, describing it as a storehouse that sets off the whole compound. With its white walls filling the south-east corner, it completes the set formed by the main house, the gate and the stone wall.
What to Look For
The thing to compare is the tall stone base against the white plaster above it; because the stone rises to waist height, the walls start well clear of the ground.
A Kanagawa University walking map calls it a two-level storehouse and suggests that it and the gate may be older than the main house. The Agency dates all of them to the late Meiji period, so the order of building remains open.
Visiting
The Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse is in the south-east corner of the plot, and the compound is closed until further notice for works, so it cannot be seen close up for now (Minamisatsuma City). No information on opening the interior was found.
Q&A
- Where is the Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse?
- In the south-east corner of the plot, with its ridge running east to west (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is 6 metres long and 5 metres deep, on two storeys, with a building area of 63 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does the Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse look like?
- White plastered walls on a three-course stone base about waist high, with a walled lean-to on the east and an open one over the north doorway.
- Can I visit the Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse?
- The whole compound is closed until further notice for works. Ask the Minamisatsuma City Board of Education about reopening.
- When was the Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- On June 21, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse (旧鯵坂家住宅蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 17830-1 Shimo-Konosu, Kaseda Takeda, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/06/21 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse construction, 2 storeys, tile roof, building area 63 m² |
| Owner | Minamisatsuma City |
| Public Access | Closed for works until further notice |
References
- Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009691
- Former Ajisaka Family Residence Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/206777
- Notice on the works at the Former Ajisaka Family Residence (Minamisatsuma City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.minamisatsuma.lg.jp/living/oshirase/e044092.html
- Kaseda Fumoto walking map (Shimazaki Laboratory, Kanagawa University, Japanese)
- https://www.arch.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/lab/shimazaki_kazushi/shimazaki/Traditional%20buildings/120kasedafumoto/feature-kasedamachiaruki.pdf
Last verified: 2026.11.08
