A two-storey storehouse joined to the dwelling
The Itani Family Residence Storehouse (井谷家住宅蔵, Itani-ke Jūtaku Kura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of about 1893 in Shimokagiyama, Kihoku Town, Ehime Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on 13 August 2012.
The building has a floor area of 50 square metres and a long narrow plan measuring 10.1 metres along the ridge by 5 metres across. The roof is gabled and laid in pantiles, but the tiles do not sit directly on the mud walls. The building uses what is called an oki-yane, a set roof: an independent roof frame is placed over the earthen box as a separate structure.
There is a reason for this. The walls of a Dozo-zukuri storehouse are thick mud. They resist fire well and water badly. Setting the roof clear of the walls means the tiles can be stripped and relaid without disturbing the wall body, and the gap between roof and wall gives a layer of air that keeps summer sun off the mud. The slightly buoyant look of the gable comes from this arrangement.
The storehouse stands on the west side of the main house and is joined to it by a covered passage. Given that storehouses are usually kept apart from the dwelling, this is a deliberate choice. Distance is safer if fire breaks out; proximity is easier if the store is opened every day. The Itani Family Residence Storehouse takes the second option.
Why it was registered, and how the walls are finished
The criterion applied was the one covering structures that contribute to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the building as a storehouse forming part of the compound of an old-established household. It was not assessed on its own, but as one element of an estate that also includes the main house, the stone wall and earthen wall, the south stone wall and the water supply tunnel.
The care taken shows in the details. The storehouse stands on plinth stones of coursed granite, which break the rise of damp from the ground and keep the base of the mud wall from rotting.
The outer walls are clad in vertically laid boards of charred cedar. The surface of each cedar board is burned to produce a layer of carbon, and the boards are then fixed upright over the mud. Charring makes the timber unattractive to water and to insects, and it needs no repainting. The technique has long been used across western Japan, and in a region with the rainfall of southern Ehime it is a practical answer.
The boarding does not cover everything. Around the windows cut into each face, the finish switches to lime plaster. Black boards give way to white plaster at each opening. The purpose is fire protection where the wall is pierced, and the side effect is a regular pattern of dark and light across the elevations.
What to look at
Watch for the places where one material hands over to another. Granite plinth, charred cedar boarding, lime plaster at the openings, tiled roof floating above. The Itani Family Residence Storehouse stacks these four layers from the ground up, and following the changes is enough to show what a storehouse of this kind is built to protect against.
The proportions repay attention as well. At 10.1 metres by 5 metres, the plan is more than twice as long as it is deep, and because there are two floors the usable area is close to double the footprint. That is enough space to hold rice, tools and household papers together in one building.
The junction with the main house is also worth study. Where the covered passage meets the storehouse wall, and how the roof is resolved at that point, is the sort of place where a carpenter's ingenuity survives, because two buildings of quite different character have to be joined there.
Kihoku Town has stated that the main house and the storehouse both need substantial preservation work. Their upkeep was raised in a general question at the December 2025 session of the town assembly.
Visiting
The Itani Family Residence Storehouse is not open on a regular basis. The interior cannot be visited, and there is no admission fee or published opening time.
Kihoku Town acquired the land and buildings in fiscal 2017, set up a study committee on the preservation and use of the Itani Family Residence in fiscal 2019, and adopted a preservation and utilisation plan in fiscal 2023. Detailed design for the repair work is now under way. For the possibility of a visit, or for news of future opening, contact the Kihoku Town Board of Education in advance on 0895-45-1111.
Photographing the exterior from the public road is no different from photographing any streetscape. Entering the grounds requires the town's permission, not least because work is in progress.
For access, the nearest railway station is Chikanaga on the JR Yodo Line. An Uwajima Jidosha bus from the station takes about 35 minutes to the Kihoku Town Hall Hiyoshi Branch stop. Services are infrequent, so check the timetable first. By car, National Route 197 passes through Shimokagiyama.
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Q&A
- When was the Itani Family Residence Storehouse built, and when was it listed?
- It is dated to about 1893 and was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on 13 August 2012. This is registration, a lighter form of protection than designation.
- What is the set roof on the Itani Family Residence Storehouse?
- An independent roof frame placed over the earthen box of the storehouse rather than built into it. The tiles can be relaid without disturbing the mud walls, and the air gap between roof and wall keeps summer heat off the earth.
- What are the walls of the Itani Family Residence Storehouse made of?
- Mud walls clad in vertically laid charred cedar boards, with lime plaster around the windows on each face. The charred surface resists water and insects, while the plaster protects the openings.
- Can you go inside the Itani Family Residence Storehouse?
- No. The interior is not open, and there is no admission fee or set opening time. Kihoku Town is carrying out repair work under its preservation and utilisation plan. Contact the Kihoku Town Board of Education on 0895-45-1111 before visiting.
- How do you reach the Itani Family Residence Storehouse from the nearest station?
- The nearest station is Chikanaga on the JR Yodo Line. An Uwajima Jidosha bus takes about 35 minutes to the Kihoku Town Hall Hiyoshi Branch stop. Buses are few, so check the timetable. By car, National Route 197 runs through Shimokagiyama.
Basic Information
| Name | Itani Family Residence Storehouse (井谷家住宅蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 376-1 Shimokagiyama, Kihoku Town, Kitauwa District, Ehime Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), under the criterion for contribution to the historic landscape of the country |
| Year Designated | Registered 13 August 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled, two storeys; building area 50 square metres; 10.1 metres along the ridge by 5 metres across; gabled set roof in pantiles |
| Owner | Kihoku Town (the town states it acquired the land and buildings in fiscal 2017; the owner field in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database is blank) |
| Public Access | Interior not open. Exterior visible from outside the grounds. Contact the Kihoku Town Board of Education on 0895-45-1111 |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Itani-ke Jutaku Kura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009398
- Cultural Heritage Online: Itani-ke Jutaku Kura
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/230471
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Itani-ke Jutaku Shuoku
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009397
- Kihoku Town: Cultural Properties (register of designated and registered properties)
- https://www.town.kihoku.ehime.jp/site/kanko-e/961.html
- Kihoku Town: Koho Kihoku, February 2026 issue, report on the December town assembly session
- https://www.town.kihoku.ehime.jp/site/koho/33164.html
Last verified: 2026.09.03