The Family Storehouse
Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse (岩村家住宅（旧黒岩家住宅）土蔵, Iwamura-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is an early Meiji-era, two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse standing north of the main house of an old family estate in the Maejima neighborhood of Kawakita, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 15, 2024.
Built to hold the household's belongings, it has a footprint of 20 square meters. The national database dates it to the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882. It has a gabled Sangawara-buki tiled roof and walls finished in white Shikkui lime plaster.
The main house, the gate with its palanquin room, and a tiled earthen wall were registered on the same day. Seen from the street gate, the Iwamura Family Residence storehouse is the last building in line, at the far northern edge of the plot.
Why It Was Registered
The listing cites its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it defines the northern edge of the estate.
The gate and palanquin room mark the south side of the compound and the earthen wall the east. The storehouse closes the north with a solid block of white wall.
It also shows, in compact form, the details that let a Japanese storehouse protect its contents from fire and damp. The Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse combines a separate floating roof, a tile-clad base and projecting rain ledges in one small building.
What to Look For
The roof is an okiyane, a separate timber roof set on top of the thick clay body of the storehouse. The gap between the two keeps the summer sun from heating the walls directly.
The walls are plastered white, except on the north face, where the lower portion is clad in tiles. This is presumably the face that takes the worst of the weather, and tiles wear far better than plaster. The same face carries 2 rows of mizukiri-gawara, rows of tiles that jut out from the wall like tiny eaves and throw rainwater clear before it can stream down the whole surface.
There is a single doorway in the middle of the south face, sheltered by a small canopy. Inside, both floors are one open room with plank floors. The roof frame rests on a heavy ridge beam running the length of the building, with sloping beams climbing up to it from the eaves.
The national database includes a photograph of the second-floor interior if you want to see that frame for yourself.
Visiting the Storehouse
The Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse is part of a private home, and as of September 2026 neither Aki City nor the Agency for Cultural Affairs lists any visitor access. Treat the interior as closed and do not enter the property.
Because the storehouse stands behind the main house at the back of the plot, it is hard to see as a whole from the street to the south. The national database has an exterior photograph taken from the northeast that shows the tiled base and the rain ledges. Photograph only from the public road and keep residents out of the frame.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When was the Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse built?
- The national database dates it to the early Meiji era, between 1868 and 1882. It was registered on August 15, 2024.
- What was the Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse used for?
- It was a kazaigura, a storehouse for household goods. Each of its 2 floors is a single room with plank flooring.
- What are the main features of the Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse?
- A gabled, tiled floating roof, white lime-plastered walls, a tile-clad base on the north face with 2 rows of projecting rain-shedding tiles, and a canopy over the south door.
- How big is the Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey building with a footprint of 20 square meters.
- Can I see the Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse?
- It is part of a private home, and as of September 2026 no public access has been announced. It stands at the back of the plot and is hard to see from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Iwamura Family Residence (Former Kuroiwa Family Residence) Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 284 Kawakita Maejima-ko, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/8/15 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 20 square meters |
| Owner | Not disclosed (no owner listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private home; at the back of the plot and hard to see from the road) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Properties Database: 岩村家住宅（旧黒岩家住宅）土蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015096
- Cultural Heritage Online: 岩村家住宅（旧黒岩家住宅）土蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/541264
- Aki City Ordinances: Cultural Properties in Aki City (安芸市における文化財)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/reiki/reiki_honbun/o304RG00000266.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
