About the Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse
The Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse (梅田家住宅表蔵, Umeda-ke Jūtaku Omotegura) is an 1866 fireproof storehouse facing the Hase Kaidō road in Kamihatchō, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 13, 2012. It adjoins the north side of the main house and shares the street frontage of the Umeda compound.
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building, thick earthen walls finished in plaster, under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. It measures four ken by three ken (a ken is about 1.8 meters), with a lean-to Geya one and a half ken wide on the west side. The footprint is 70 square meters, and the building was renovated around 1945. Because it stands on the street rather than at the back of the plot, the Agency for Cultural Affairs treats it as part of the townhouse itself.
Why It Was Registered
The Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency notes that, standing beside the main house, it completes the frontage of a large townhouse. Instead of hiding the storehouse at the rear, the Umeda family set it shoulder to shoulder with the house, which makes the property look markedly wider from the road.
The storehouse is Tsumairi, with its triangular gable end turned to the street. Its door does not open onto the road. It opens instead into the entrance passage of the main house, so the storehouse can be reached from inside the main house without stepping outdoors.
Reading the Walls
The outer walls of the Umeda storehouse are finished in three bands. At the base is Kikkōzumi, stonework laid in a hexagonal pattern like a tortoise shell. Above it is a dado of Namako-kabe, flat tiles set into the wall with raised joints of plaster. The upper wall is smooth white Shikkui lime plaster.
The order follows the weather: stone where splashing rain and road dust hit hardest, tile above it, and bright plaster where the wall is least exposed.
Just north of the main house, with its lattices and slot windows under eaves parallel to the road, the white gable of the storehouse rises higher. The two facades, different in height and material, side by side are the heart of the Umeda frontage.
Visiting the Front Storehouse
The Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse is privately owned and its interior is not open to the public. The doorway into the main house passage cannot be seen from outside.
What you can see is the gable end facing the Hase Kaidō and the north wall. The tortoise-shell stonework and tile joints show their pattern best at close range, but please stay on the public road and do not step onto the property. Photography should also be from the road.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse built?
- In 1866 (Keiō 2). It was renovated around 1945.
- Why is the Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Standing beside the main house on the Hase Kaidō, it completes the frontage of a large townhouse. It was registered on August 13, 2012.
- What does "omotegura" mean in the Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse?
- It means the storehouse at the front of the property, on the street. The name pairs with the nakagura, the middle storehouse at the back of the plot.
- What should I look at on the Umeda front storehouse?
- The three bands of finish, tortoise-shell stonework, tiled dado and white plaster, and the gable end turned toward the road.
- Can I go inside the Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned and the interior is not open. The exterior can be seen from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1648 Kamihatcho, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 13, 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 70 square meters; 4 ken by 3 ken |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the Hase Kaido) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009308
- Cultural Heritage Online: Umeda Family Residence Front Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/230381
- Nabari City: List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s061/010/020/000/030/R7shiteibunnkazaiitirann64.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.03
