A Tool Store in the Northeast Corner
The Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse (長井家住宅（梅屋）東蔵, higashi-gura) is a late Edo-period earthen storehouse in Higashinagashima, Kihoku-cho, Mie Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on June 24, 2021. It stands east of the Main House across the forecourt, in the northeast corner of the compound, and served as a store for farm implements and forestry tools.
A two-story clay-walled storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) with a building area of 91 square meters, it is the largest of the three storehouses. Its gabled pantile roof runs north to south, and a lean-to (Geya) on the west side shelters two doorways. The building was remodeled in the early Showa period.
Why It Was Registered
The Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs names it a principal element of the northeast view. The compound's east side faces the road and the Main Gate opens just south of this storehouse, so it is one of the first buildings anyone sees from outside.
Its purpose matters too. The South Storehouse held household goods and the West Storehouse furnishings; the East Storehouse held working tools. The livelihood that made the Nagai prosperous after the Meiji era shows in how the family divided its storage.
What to Look For
The interior is laid out for work. On the ground floor, the north room is half earthen floor (Doma) and half wooden boards, while the south room is boarded throughout. Freestanding posts carry the roof framing and keep the floor open for moving tools and timber. The earthen section was presumably for bringing in muddy implements and heavy gear.
From outside, notice that the lean-to and both doorways face west into the forecourt. Goods moved in and out on the family's side, and the wall toward the road stays closed.
Visiting
The Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse is not open inside, but its exterior is one of the easiest parts of the compound to see. From the road on the east, its long east wall runs just north of the Main Gate.
Please look from the road and do not enter the grounds. Directions from the station are on the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) page.
Q&A
- When was the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period. It was remodeled in the early Showa period.
- What was the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse used for?
- It stored farm implements and forestry tools.
- Can you see the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse from outside?
- Yes. It stands in the northeast corner, and its long east wall is visible from the road, just north of the Main Gate. The interior is closed.
- What is inside the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse?
- On the ground floor, the north room is half earthen floor and half boarded, the south room is boarded, and freestanding posts carry the roof framing.
- How large is the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen storehouse with a building area of 91 square meters, the largest of the compound's storehouses.
Basic Information
| Name | Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2519 Yobisaki, Higashinagashima, Kihoku-cho, Kitamuro-gun, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/6/24 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse (dozo-zukuri), 2 stories, tiled roof, building area 91 square meters |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the road on the east) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013817
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs report on new registrations, March 19, 2021 (Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/93206101_04.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.26
