About the Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse
The Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse (旧上田家住宅外蔵, Kyū Ueda-ke Jūtaku Sotogura) is a combined rice store and tool store in Kaidecho, Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture, built around 1910 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 29, 2019. It was moved here around 1942, along with the main house and the inner storehouse, from the family's original plot about 190 meters to the east.
The Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse stands toward the east side of the plot and faces west. It joins a two-story earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri store to a single-story timber section under gabled roofs of interlocking pantiles, with a building area of 44 square meters.
Why the Outer Storehouse Was Registered
The Ueda outer storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as an outbuilding without which a farmstead of this kind would be incomplete.
The inner storehouse, built into the back of the main house, held household goods. The outer storehouse, standing apart from the living quarters, held the harvested rice and the farm tools. Both date from around 1910 and both survived the move, so the division of labor between the two stores can still be read on the ground.
Rice Store, Tool Store, and a Projecting Room
The north half of the Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse is the two-story rice store; the south half drops to a single story under a lower roof, an arrangement known as Ochimune. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the rice store has planked floors on both levels, and the walls of the north half of its ground floor are sheathed in corrugated tin. The lower south section was the tool store and keeps an earthen floor.
Along the west front runs a lean-to roof (the Geya), and at its south end a small room juts out as a Tsunoya. One building thus holds a two-story store, a single-story tool shed, and a projecting side room, each with its own height and purpose. Seen from outside, the roofline steps down on the south side, tracing that arrangement.
Seeing the Outer Storehouse
The Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse is not among the spaces the city rents out (the main-house rooms and kitchen, the inner storehouse, and the annex), and the city's pages say nothing about opening its interior. Expect to see it from outside, and ask at the reception if you hope to look in.
Since the building faces west, stand inside the compound and look east to see the lean-to along its front and the small projecting room at its south end. Photography rules are not stated, so check at the reception. Opening days and directions are on the Former Ueda Family Residence (Muko) page.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse built?
- Around 1910. It was moved with the main house and inner storehouse about 190 meters to its present site around 1942.
- Why is the Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- As an outbuilding essential to the layout of a farmstead, it contributes to the historic landscape. It was registered on March 29, 2019.
- What was the Ueda outer storehouse used for?
- The two-story north half was a rice store and the single-story south half a tool store. The rice store has planked floors; the tool store has an earthen floor.
- Can I go inside the Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse?
- The city's pages do not mention opening the interior, and it is not one of the rental spaces. You can see the exterior from inside the compound; ask at the reception about the interior.
- How does the Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse differ from the inner storehouse?
- The inner storehouse is a household store joined to the back of the main house and reached along the veranda. The outer storehouse stands apart on the east side and held rice and tools. The inner storehouse has a building area of 15 square meters, and the outer storehouse 44 square meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 64-2 Higashiido, Kaidecho, Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 29, 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 44 square meters |
| Owner | Muko City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible during residence opening hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.); interior opening not stated |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012759
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Ueda Family Residence Outer Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/431982
- Muko City History and Culture: Former Ueda Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.muko.kyoto.jp/site/rekishi/3174.html
- Muko City: Former Ueda Family Residence, room rental and fees (Japanese)
- https://www.city.muko.kyoto.jp/site/kyuuedake/3298.html
Last verified: 2026.10.05
