A Stable Built Like a Storehouse
The Former Ueno Family Residence Stable (旧上野家住宅馬屋, Kyū Ueno-ke Jūtaku Umaya) is an earthen-walled horse stable in the Ueno family compound at Saihoji in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, built in the late Edo period (1751–1829) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
The Ueno stable stands near the front of the compound, southwest of the main house. The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it southwest of the main house and southeast of a nagayamon gatehouse. It measures 2.5 Ken by 2 ken, with a building area of 30 square metres.
It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri building, meaning its timber frame is wrapped in thick clay walls, under a tiled gabled roof running east to west. The technique is usually reserved for storehouses; using it for an animal shed is what makes this building unusual.
Why the Stable Was Registered
The Former Ueno Family Residence Stable was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. The national description notes that its openings have been altered, but judges that it still shapes the front of the compound.
Horses did the ploughing and hauling on a farm like this. Here their shed was placed near the front of the compound rather than tucked behind the house, and built in labour-intensive clay. Even the stable was expected to look the part on a headman's property.
Its late Edo date may make it older than the present main house, which the database places in the Tenpō era. It is worth seeing as one of the buildings that may predate the house now at the centre of the compound.
What to Look For
The walls are clad in vertical boards below and finished in a clay intermediate coat above. That coat is the layer before the final finish, so the colour of the earth shows through, unlike the white lime plaster of the main house and nagaya. The finish tells you where the building ranked.
Small windows open in both gable ends to let in air and light, a necessity in any building meant for animals.
On the front, look for places where the openings do not line up neatly with the surrounding wall. These are the alterations the national description mentions, traces of the building being adapted as its use changed.
Visiting the Stable
The Former Ueno Family Residence Stable stands near the front of the compound, so its exterior is one of the first things you see on entering. The interior is not open.
No published rule on photography turned up, but photographing the exterior from outside is unlikely to be a problem. Opening hours and directions are covered on the Former Ueno Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can you visit the Ueno Stable, and is there a fee?
- Yes. The Ueno Stable stands inside the compound, which is open free of charge from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days and closed on Wednesdays and over the New Year holidays.
- When was the Former Ueno Family Residence Stable built?
- The national database dates it to the late Edo period (1751–1829).
- How is the Ueno Stable built?
- It is a single-storey clay-walled building 2.5 ken by 2 ken, 30 square metres in area, with a tiled gabled roof, board cladding below, a clay finish above and small windows in both gables.
- Can you see inside the Ueno Stable?
- No. The interior is not open, but the exterior is easy to see near the front of the compound.
- Is the Former Ueno Family Residence Stable an Important Cultural Property?
- No. The Former Ueno Family Residence Stable is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registered on August 3, 2006, on the same day as the other seven structures in the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ueno Family Residence Stable |
|---|---|
| Location | 285 Saihoji, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/08/03 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey clay-walled, tiled roof; 2.5 ken by 2 ken; building area 30 square metres |
| Owner | Maizuru City |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable free of charge 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days (closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays); interior not regularly open |
References
- Former Ueno Family Residence Stable (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005629
- Maizuru City Basic Concept for History and Culture, Ch. 2 (2-3): list of designated and registered properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kyouiku/cmsfiles/contents/0000004/4317/2-2.2_2019013109530129.pdf
- Ordinance on the Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke Facility (Maizuru City bylaws, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/html/reiki_int/reiki_honbun/k104RG00000789.html
- Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke (Maizuru City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kankou/0000010433.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
