About the Storehouse and Guardhouse
The Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse (福田家住宅蔵及び番小屋, Fukuda-ke Jūtaku Kura oyobi Bangoya) in Higashisako, Noichi-cho, Konan City, Kochi Prefecture, is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of 1919 with a guardhouse on its east side, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 21, 2002. It covers 28 square meters under a tiled roof.
The Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse is the oldest of the eight registered buildings, standing a few years before the rest went up in 1923 and 1924. It sits south of the reception wing and north of the gate.
A Storehouse under a Separate Roof
The storehouse of the Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse measures 2.5 ken by 2 ken, ridge running north to south, with two storeys of Dozo-zukuri earthen walls. Its gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki) is an Okiyane, a roof set on top of the fireproof clay shell rather than built into it.
A lean-to (Geya) along the east side shelters a front work area (Kuramae) and a guardhouse of about three tatami mats, where someone could keep watch over the stores.
A Layered West Wall and Plaster Waves
The Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse was registered as difficult to reproduce, under register number 39-0059.
The west wall shows why. Its lower part is protected by clapboarding held with vertical battens (Shitami-itabari); above that comes Tosa-shikkui lime plaster, broken by two rows of Mizukiri-gawara rain tiles. Wood, plaster and tile are stacked in bands from ground to eaves.
On the north and south gables, above the rain tiles, waves are modeled in Kote-e plaster relief. No source found explains what the wave motif was meant to signify.
Seeing the Storehouse
The Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse is one of the buildings along the west edge of the compound, with the gate just to the south. Its finished west wall faces the outer side of the property.
No interior opening has been announced, and the grounds are not open to visitors. Access details for the whole compound are on the Fukuda Family Residence group page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse
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Q&A
- How do you read the name of the Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse?
- Fukuda-ke Jūtaku Kura oyobi Bangoya, following the furigana in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- When was the Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse built?
- In 1919, making it the oldest of the eight registered buildings.
- What is the guardhouse in the Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse?
- A room of about three mats under the lean-to on the east side, next to the front work area of the storehouse.
- What should I look for on the Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse?
- The layered west wall of boarding, Tosa lime plaster and two rows of rain tiles, and the waves in plaster relief on the gables.
- Can I visit the Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse?
- No interior opening has been announced. It stands on the west edge of the compound, just north of the gate.
Basic Information
| Name | Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse (福田家住宅蔵及び番小屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 105 Higashisako, Noichi-cho, Konan City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 39-0059 |
| Year Designated | Registered August 21, 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 28 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003009
- Cultural Heritage Online: Fukuda Family Residence Storehouse and Guardhouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/194009
- List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties (Konan City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kochi-konan.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyoikuiinkaishogaigakushuka/rekishi_bunkazai/2/2189.html
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) in Kochi Cities (Kochi Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2024031100056/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
