A Great Rice Store, Moved Here
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse, in Tanoura, Ashikita Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of the Meiji era, moved to its present site in 1930 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000.
In Japanese it is 藤崎家住宅（赤松館）米蔵 (komegura). It held the rice the landowning Fujisaki collected from their holdings, which the official description calls tokumai. The register's structure entry gives a building area of 247 square metres and the description about 250 square metres, second only to the main house.
A Storehouse Hard to Reproduce
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce, the same criterion as the main house and no other building here.
Under its pantiled roof, the ground floor is divided in two and the upper floor is a single broad room. Across the full length of the front a lean-to roof sweeps low. Building a storehouse on this scale in the Meiji era, then taking it down and raising it again in the Showa era, suggests how much the family depended on it.
Outside the Wall
Of the nine structures, the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse alone stands outside the boundary wall, which runs around the rest of the estate but leaves out the storehouse and the vegetable plot in front of it.
The deep front roof kept rain off rice bales as they were carried in and out. When the estate reopened in 2024, the storehouse stood beside the car park, and plans were reported to let young chefs use the space for food stalls. A building made for storing grain had become the first thing visitors saw.
Seeing the Rice Storehouse
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse stands outside the wall, beside what was the visitors' car park.
The Ashikita Town Tourism Association reported that the estate was badly damaged in the earthquake of July 2026, and no reopening had been announced as of September 2026. The grounds cannot be entered.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kumamoto
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse built?
- It was built in the Meiji era and moved to its present site in 1930.
- How big is the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a pantiled roof. The register gives 247 square metres; the official description says about 250 square metres.
- What is inside the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse?
- The ground floor is divided into two spaces and the upper floor is one large room. A deep lean-to roof runs across the whole front.
- Why is the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- As a large earthen-walled storehouse it was registered on 18 October 2000 as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce.
- Can I visit the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse?
- It stands outside the wall. The estate was damaged in the earthquake of July 2026 and had not reopened as of September 2026, so check before visiting.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 781-2 and others, Gotanda, Tanoura, Ashikita Town, Ashikita District, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/10/18 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 247 square metres (earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database (private) |
| Public Access | Apparently closed after earthquake damage; check before visiting |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001988
- Cultural Heritage Online: Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Rice Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/137758
- Fujisaki Family Residence Sekishokan (Ashikita Town Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://ashikita-kankou.com/introduce/%E8%B5%A4%E6%9D%BE%E9%A4%A8/
- Notice on the Ashikita Curry Road event, 5 August 2026 (Ashikita Town Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://ashikita-kankou.com/2026/08/05/%e3%80%8c%e8%8a%a6%e5%8c%97%e4%bc%bd%e5%93%a9%e8%a1%97%e9%81%93%e3%80%8d%e3%81%ab%e3%81%a4%e3%81%84%e3%81%a6%e3%81%ae%e3%81%8a%e7%9f%a5%e3%82%89%e3%81%9b/
- Sekishokan reopens to the public (Kumanichi Spice, Japanese)
- https://spice.kumanichi.com/outing/180160/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
