About the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse
The Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse (長谷園奥の蔵, Nagatani-en Oku-no-kura) is a 2-story earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri storehouse of the Meiji period (1868 to 1912) at the far northwest of the residence of the Nagatani-en pottery in Marubashira, Iga City, Mie Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 26 March 2015.
The Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse abuts the west end of the annex, which lies northwest of the main house, and runs east to west. It measures 4.9 meters by 3.9 meters, with a lean-to shed on its south side; including the shed the building area is 55 square meters. The roof is gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) and laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles.
Oku-no-kura means the storehouse at the back, and it stands at the deepest point of the compound as seen from the main house. Where the smaller Nagatani-en Storehouse sits directly behind the main house, this one lies further west, on the far side of the annex.
Walls that change from face to face
What rewards a close look at the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse is that each face is finished differently. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records white plaster walls with a Hachimaki band under the eaves, a Namako-kabe base on the southeast face, and vertical boarding at the back.
Namako-kabe is made by fixing flat tiles to the wall and raising the joints in rounded ribs of plaster, giving a black-and-white lattice that also protects the base from rain and knocks. Here that labor-intensive finish faces southeast, toward the garden and the annex, while the back is simply boarded. The care goes where people will see it.
The boarded rear also matches the boarding on the annex and the other storehouse.
Why the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse is registered
The Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency cites the way it combines with the annex and the other storehouse to form the historic north face of the estate.
The Agency's note on the annex says its back was designed to match the storehouses on either side. From the north, the Nagatani-en Storehouse at the east, the annex in the middle, and the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse at the west line up behind a common boarded base and close off the back of the compound as one continuous wall. Mie Prefecture values Nagatani-en for keeping its Meiji and Taisho house and workshops intact, and this building completes the residential side of that set.
Seeing the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse
The Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse is at the back of the private residence and is not normally open. The interior cannot be visited, and the namako-kabe face looks into the family's garden.
We have not been able to confirm where the north face of the estate can be seen from. Opening hours and directions for the walking area are on the Nagatani-en page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse?
- It adjoins the west end of the annex, northwest of the main house, at the deepest point of the residential compound.
- What is distinctive about the walls of the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse?
- They are plastered with a band under the eaves, but the southeast base is namako-kabe tile work while the back is vertical boarding.
- How big is the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse?
- It measures 4.9 meters by 3.9 meters, with a shed on the south side, for a building area of 55 square meters.
- Can visitors see the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse?
- It is in the private residential area and is not normally open.
- When did the Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 26 March 2015, at the same time as the annex, the other storehouse, and the rest of that group.
Basic Information
| Name | Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 569 Marubashira, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 26 March 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 4.9 meters by 3.9 meters, building area 55 square meters (2-story earthen storehouse) |
| Owner | Not listed (Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not normally open |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010468
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nagatani-en Rear Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/211314
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Nagatani-en Annex (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010466
- Mie Prefecture: Summary of the recommended properties (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/000371116.pdf
- Iga City Digital Museum: Nagatani-en buildings and kiln (Japanese)
- https://adeac.jp/iga-city/catalog/mp404530-100040
- Nagatani-en: Shop information (Japanese)
- https://igamono.co.jp/at-first/shop/
Last verified: 2026.10.05
