What Is the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
The Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse (旧平田家住宅米蔵, Kyū Hirata-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is a clay-walled storehouse built around 1887 in Chiyoda-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015. It was altered in 1914.
Mostly single-storey with a partial upper floor, it covers 96 square meters and stands in the southeast corner of the estate. As its name says, it was built to hold rice. The East and West Storehouses, used for household goods, stand behind the main house to the north; the rice store alone sits apart in the southeast.
Outside: a Heavy Band and Two Lean-tos
Just below the eaves, the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse is wrapped in a Hachimaki, a thickened band of plaster built out from the top of the wall. It keeps fire from finding its way in under the eaves and gives the building a bold horizontal line.
The roof is gabled and covered with pantiles, with lean-to roofs added on the west and south sides. The south face looks out over the southern edge of the estate, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs treats the building as the storehouse that sets the scene on that side.
Inside: a Truss and Diagonal Rub Boards
The interior of the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse is divided into north and south halves, with plank floors. The roof frame uses Nobori-bari, rafter beams laid on the slope, strengthened with a Truss, the triangulated frame introduced from Western building. Combining the two is typical of the practical experiments seen in storehouses of this period.
On the walls, nizurigi, rub boards that stop bales and crates from gouging the clay, are nailed on at a diagonal. Such boards are normally fixed horizontally or vertically, and the Agency singles out this slanted arrangement as unusual.
Seeing the Rice Storehouse
We found no report of the interior of the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse being opened, so the diagonal boards and the truss are not currently on view.
The estate's seasonal openings cover the shoin and the garden, and we could not confirm if the rice store can be seen from outside at those times. Opening periods and directions are on the Former Hirata Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- Around 1887, with alterations in 1914. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015.
- Where does the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse stand?
- In the southeast corner of the estate, apart from the East and West Storehouses behind the main house.
- Why are the rub boards in the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse unusual?
- The boards that protect the clay walls from cargo are nailed on diagonally rather than in the usual horizontal or vertical rows.
- How is the roof of the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- It is a gabled pantile roof with lean-tos on the west and south. The frame uses sloping rafter beams reinforced with a truss.
- Can I go inside the Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- We found no report of the interior being opened to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse (旧平田家住宅米蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 941 Chiyodacho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 24-0222 |
| Year Designated | Registered November 17, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse, single-storey with partial 2nd floor, tiled roof, building area 96 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Interior closed (the shoin and garden of the estate open for limited periods) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010821
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Hirata Family Residence Rice Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/276886
- Former Hirata Family Residence Main House and 6 others (Yokkaichi City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokkaichi.lg.jp/www/contents/1001000002610/index.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27
