About the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse
The Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse (松下家住宅土蔵, Matsushita-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse from the early Meiji period, renovated in the mid-Shōwa years, in the Higashishioya district of Minamibeppu, Chiran Town, Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2007. It has a tiled roof and a footprint of 66 square meters.
It stands south of the main house, on the southern edge of the plot. Although it is registered as one building, it is really two identical two-storey storehouses, each 3 Ken long and 2.5 ken deep by the old Japanese measure (Ketayuki and Harima), set end to end on an east-west line so that they read as a single structure.
Why It Was Registered
The Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Standing on the edge of the plot, its walls are easy to see from beyond the property, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it, together with the stone wall, with shaping the look of the street.
The Agency also points to the plainness of its design. Two storehouses of the same size joined in a row give the impression, from outside, of one long run of white wall.
Cut-Stone Footings and Plaster to the Eaves
The Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse has a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles, and the ridge runs straight across both units. It rests on footings of dressed stone laid in level courses, the Nunozumi method.
The outer walls are coated in white Shikkui plaster carried all the way up into the eaves, so almost no timber shows. The result is a crisp white box beneath the tiles.
There is just one doorway, set in the west gable end. Inside, the building is divided into two rooms.
Viewing the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse
The interior of the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse is not open, and no public or special opening days could be found. It can only be seen from outside the plot.
As the Agency's note about the street landscape suggests, the white walls and tiled roof show above the stone wall from the road. The doorway in the west gable faces into the grounds and is hard to see from outside. Please keep photography to the public road.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagoshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse
- [ Sakurajima Ferry & Yakushima World Heritage ]
Q&A
- When was the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Meiji period, with a renovation in the mid-Shōwa period.
- Why is the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It helps form the street landscape together with the stone wall, and it was registered on December 5, 2007 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Is the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse one building or two?
- It is registered as one building, but it is made of two two-storey storehouses, each 3 ken by 2.5 ken, joined end to end on an east-west line.
- Where is the entrance to the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse?
- In the west gable end. The interior is divided into two rooms.
- Can I go inside the Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse?
- No. No public opening has been announced, so it can only be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 27024 Higashishioya, Minamibeppu, Chiran-cho, Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2007 (registered December 5, 2007) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 66 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no public opening announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006642
- Cultural Heritage Online: Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/153245
- Kagoshima Prefectural Board of Education: Kagoshima Cultural Property Encyclopedia, Matsushita Family Residence Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://k-bunkazai.com/cultural/f-q-60054/
Last verified: 2026.10.03
