The Storehouse by the Entrance
The Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse (鮫島博家住宅蔵, Sameshima Hiroshi-ke Jūtaku Kura) is an early Meiji-period earthen storehouse in the Kaseda Fumoto district of Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 13 August 2012. It stands in the west corner of the plot beside the entrance and was renovated in 1996.
Built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, it measures 5.1 metres by 4.1 metres, with a building area of 32 square metres, under a gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. The walls are plastered in Shikkui, and the building rests on a base of cut tuff laid in Nunozumi courses.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs record is not consistent about its height. The structure field gives it as 2 storeys; the descriptive text in the same record calls it single-storey. Both are reported here rather than choosing one.
Holding the Entrance Together
The door is in the south-east gable end, sheltered by a lean-to Geya roof; the opposite, north-west gable has a small window. Because the entrance is on the gable side, the triangular end of the roof becomes the building's face.
The Agency says that standing where it does, beside the entrance, the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse tightens the composition of the estate. Walls and a gate alone leave an entrance feeling open; a compact white storehouse just inside gives it weight. It was listed under the criterion of contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Notice
Look at the junction between the tuff base and the plastered walls. At 5.1 metres by 4.1 metres the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse is small, but the dressed stone footing makes it sit very firmly on the ground.
Visiting
The storehouse stands inside a private estate and its interior is not open (checked September 2026). How much of it can be seen from the lane depends on the hedge and gate, so please look only from public ground. Directions to the district are given on the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagoshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse
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Q&A
- Where is the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse?
- In the west corner of the estate, beside the entrance.
- Is the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse one storey or two?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs record gives 2 storeys in its structure field but describes the building as single-storey in its text; the two entries disagree.
- How large is the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse?
- It measures 5.1 metres by 4.1 metres, with a building area of 32 square metres.
- Where is the entrance of the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse?
- In the south-east gable end, sheltered by a lean-to roof; the opposite gable has a small window.
- Can the Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse be visited?
- No. It stands inside a private estate and is not open to the public (checked September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse (鮫島博家住宅蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 17824-1 Kaseda Takeda, Minamisatsuma City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 46-0103 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2012/8/13 (Heisei 24) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, tiled roof; building area 32 square metres (5.1 metres by 4.1 metres); 2 storeys in the structure field, single-storey in the description |
| Owner | Private individual (not published) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009411
- Japan Heritage Portal, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence
- https://www.japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/4680/
- Satsuma Samurai Towns Japan Heritage Council: Sameshima Hiroshi Family Residence
- https://kagoshima-fumoto.jp/minamisatsuma/%E9%AE%AB%E5%B3%B6%E5%8D%9A%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85/
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Minamisatsuma-shi Kaseda Fumoto
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/103/00000125
- Satsuma Samurai Towns Japan Heritage Council: Kaseda Fumoto
- https://kagoshima-fumoto.jp/minamisatsuma/
- Minamisatsuma Tourism Association: Kaseda Fumoto walking map (PDF)
- https://kanko-minamisatsuma.jp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/feature-kasedamachiaruki.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.25
