The Oldest Building on the Lot
The Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse (濱田典彌家住宅土蔵, Hamada Norihiro-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse of the late Meiji period, standing southwest of the main house in the Hamada Norihiro family's compound in Otsu, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 November 2004.
The Hamada Norihiro storehouse is the oldest of the five registered structures, already on the site when the main house, kamaya and rice deposit house went up in 1934. It measures 5 ken by 3 ken, covers 62 square meters and has a Kirizuma-zukuri gable roof of Sangawara-buki tiles.
Why It Was Registered: Careful Walls
The Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse was registered as a model of form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls its construction careful, and the walls show why.
It rests on a stone foundation. The lower walls are Namako-kabe, flat tiles set in a grid with raised plaster joints, and above them the walls are finished in white Tosa-shikkui, the thick Tosa plaster mixed with fermented straw that is valued for standing up to rain.
Each gable wall carries six tiers of Mizukiri-gawara, small tiled ledges stepped up the wall to throw off rainwater. They are common on storehouses and town houses in Kochi, and six tiers is a generous allowance for a wet, windy coast.
Two Doors Under a Lean-to
On the north side of the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse a Geya lean-to eave shelters two doorways, each fitted with Kannon-biraki double doors. Facing the doors north turns them toward the main house.
Two entrances on one storehouse can mean the interior was divided for different uses, but the official records do not describe the inside. From outside, the clues are the pair of doors and the eave that keeps the rain off them.
Visiting
The Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse is not open to the public, and neither its interior nor the grounds can be visited.
At 2 storeys it is one of the taller buildings on the lot, standing southwest of the main house, but it is not confirmed how much of the tiled lower walls or the weather tiles can be seen from outside. Directions are on the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Meiji period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 November 2004, under registration number 39-0180.
- Is the Hamada Norihiro storehouse the oldest building in the compound?
- Yes. It is the only one of the five from the Meiji period; the other four date from around 1934.
- What is special about the walls of the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse?
- The lower walls are namako-kabe tile work, the upper walls are Tosa plaster, and each gable has six tiers of weather tiles. It stands on a stone foundation.
- How big is the Hamada Norihiro storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey storehouse of 5 ken by 3 ken, with a building area of 62 square meters.
- Can I visit the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse?
- No. There is no public opening, and the building and grounds are private.
Basic Information
| Name | Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Storehouse (濱田典彌家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1028-1 Otsu, Nahari-cho, Aki-gun, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 8 November 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 62 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed (owner field blank in the ACA database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no public opening announced) |
References
- 濱田典彌家住宅土蔵 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004466
- 濱田典彌家住宅土蔵 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180686
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), Kochi Prefecture
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2023062200186/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
