A Storehouse for Tableware in the Northwest Corner
The Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse (長井家住宅（梅屋）西蔵, nishi-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 west of the Main House and north of the Annex, in the northwest part of the compound, and held the household's tableware and furnishings.
It is a two-story clay-walled storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) with a building area of 74 square meters, under a north-south gabled pantile roof. An open-sided lean-to (Geya) runs along the east face, and the Office Building joins on beyond it. The storehouse was remodeled in the mid-Meiji era.
Why It Was Registered
The Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs names it a principal element of the northwest view. It anchors the west end of the line of buildings along the north edge: Outer Wall, Maid's Room, Office Building and this storehouse.
A house that entertained many guests needed a dedicated store for trays, bowls and serving pieces. Alongside the South Storehouse for household goods and the East Storehouse for tools, it shows how the family divided domestic and working life.
What to Look For
The walls have a white plaster (Shikkui) band under the eaves, horizontal battened clapboards below it, and vertical boards at the base. That is the reverse of the South Storehouse, where the vertical boards sit above the clapboards, so the same compound shows two ways of assembling a storehouse wall.
The roof framing is the structural point of interest. The inclined rafters (noboribari) that carry the roof have been reinforced with paired clamping beams (hasami-bari). This looks like a later strengthening; the primary sources do not say whether it belongs to the mid-Meiji remodeling.
Visiting
The Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse is not open inside. It is described as part of the northwest view, but where it can be seen from outside the property has not been confirmed.
Viewing conditions for the whole estate are on the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) page.
Q&A
- When was the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period. It was remodeled in the mid-Meiji era.
- What was kept in the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse?
- Tableware and household furnishings, such as trays and serving vessels.
- What are the structural features of the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse?
- Its roof uses inclined rafters reinforced with clamping beams. The walls have a plaster band under the eaves, battened clapboards and vertical boards at the base.
- Can you visit the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, and it has not been confirmed where the exterior can be seen from outside.
- How large is the Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen storehouse with a building area of 74 square meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2496-2 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 74 square meters |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no interior opening announced) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Nagai Family Residence (Umeya) West Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013818
- 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
