The Storehouse That Came from the City
At the southwestern corner of the grounds, south of the main house, stands a small plastered storehouse of two storeys, only about 23 square metres in footprint. It is called the Edo-gura, and the name points to its history: the building is said to have been brought from the Kyōmachi district of Kumamoto city and re-erected here, carrying older timber with it.
The storehouse is three bays long and two deep, roofed in the gabled kirizuma form with sangawara pantiles. This is a dozō, a fire-resistant storehouse whose walls are built up in thick earthen plaster. Here the lower part of the wall is protected with boarding while the rest is finished in white shikkui lime plaster.
A Registered Piece of the Estate
The Edo-gura was registered on 29 November 2016 as one of six Yoshioka structures entered together on the national list of tangible cultural properties, under registration number 43-0159. The shared criterion was contribution to the historic character of the landscape.
Local records date the building to about 1875 and note the tradition that an older Edo-period storehouse was taken apart and rebuilt on the site. Exactly how much of the original travelled is not fully documented, so the account is best treated as the family's own tradition rather than settled fact. Either way, it is the oldest-feeling structure in the compound and part of why the group registration made sense as a set.
What to Look For
A single doorway opens toward the main house, set at the eastern side of the north gable end. Inside, both floors are left as a single undivided room, the plain volume that a storehouse needs for stacking goods.
The contrast of materials is the thing to notice from outside: dark boarding along the base, white plaster above, and the heavy pantiled roof holding it all down. Grouped with the larger Meiji storehouse and the main house, the Edo-gura helps give the plot the layered look of a nineteenth-century farming estate. The building is privately owned and viewed from outside only.
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Q&A
- Why is it called the Edo storehouse?
- Because it is said to incorporate an older Edo-period storehouse, reportedly moved from the Kyōmachi district of Kumamoto city and rebuilt on the grounds.
- What is a dozō?
- A storehouse with thick earthen-plaster walls, built to resist fire and to keep stored goods safe. The white finish here is shikkui lime plaster.
- How big is it?
- Small: about 23 square metres in footprint, three bays by two, with two storeys each left as a single room.
- When was it registered?
- On 29 November 2016, together with five other Yoshioka structures. Its registration number is 43-0159.
Basic Information
| Name | Yoshioka Residence, Edo Storehouse (Yoshioka-ke Jūtaku Edo-gura) |
|---|---|
| Location | Imakoga, Kutami, Kamoto-machi, Yamaga, Kumamoto |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Registered | 29 November 2016 |
| Registration No. | 43-0159 |
| Structure | Earthen-walled storehouse, two storeys; tiled roof; building area approx. 23 m² |
| Count | 1 building |
| Owner | Private (individual) |
| Access | Private residence; not generally open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (ACA) — Yoshioka Residence Edo Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011427
- Cultural Heritage Online — Yoshioka Residence Edo Storehouse
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/221154
- Yamaga City — List of Designated Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.yamaga.kumamoto.jp/kiji00396/index.html
Last verified: 2026.07.04