What Is the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse?
The Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse (旧平田家住宅西蔵, Kyū Hirata-ke Jūtaku Nishikura) is a 2-storey clay-walled storehouse built in the Taisho era (1912 to 1926) in Chiyoda-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015. Its building area is 69 square meters.
It stands to the northwest of the main house and was used to store household goods. Together with its neighbor, the East Storehouse, it forms the northern edge of the estate.
A Long Store of 8.5 Bays
The Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse measures 8.5 ken by 3.5 ken, a plan more than twice as long as it is deep; the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as an unusually long storehouse. The roof is gabled with pantiles.
The East Storehouse next door, at 2.5 by 2 ken and 17 square meters, is tiny by comparison. Both date from the Taisho era and both held household goods, yet the West Storehouse has about four times the floor area, which suggests the family used the pair for different scales of storage.
Tortoiseshell Stonework, Namako Walls and Iron Strips
Like the East Storehouse, the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse rests on a base of granite laid in kikkō-zumi, tortoiseshell masonry, in which stones are cut to near-hexagonal shapes and fitted together like the plates of a turtle shell. It is slow, careful work.
On the side facing the main house, the lower wall is finished as Namako-kabe: flat tiles fixed to the wall with their joints raised in rounded ridges of plaster. The finish sheds rain, resists fire and makes a bold black-and-white grid. It was applied on the face the family saw every day.
Inside, the walls are boarded, and iron strips are nailed across the surface of the upper-floor ceiling boards. The Agency does not explain their purpose, but lists them among the building's distinctive interior details.
Seeing the West Storehouse
We found no report of the interior of the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse being opened. The seasonal openings of the estate cover the shoin and the garden, and we could not confirm if this storehouse on the north side can be seen from outside.
Opening periods and directions are on the Former Hirata Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse built?
- In the Taisho era (1912 to 1926). It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015.
- How big is the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey clay-walled storehouse of 69 square meters, 8.5 by 3.5 ken, long and narrow in plan.
- Where is the namako wall on the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse?
- On the side facing the main house, the lower part of the wall is finished with tiles and raised plaster joints.
- What is the foundation of the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse?
- It stands on granite laid in tortoiseshell pattern, the same as the East Storehouse.
- Can I go inside the Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse?
- We found no report of the interior being opened to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse (旧平田家住宅西蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 941 Chiyodacho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 24-0224 |
| Year Designated | Registered November 17, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 69 square meters, 8.5 by 3.5 ken |
| 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 West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010823
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Hirata Family Residence West Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/236438
- 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
