What the Storehouse Is
The Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse (横山家住宅土蔵, Yokoyama-ke Jūtaku Dozō) in Oaza Komono, Komono Town, Mie Prefecture, is a 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) of the late Edo period (1830 to 1868), registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on April 3, 2020. It covers 24 square meters.
It stands northeast of the main house, along the road on the north side of the estate. It was repaired around 1919 and again in 2016, when the interior was renovated.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as the building that firms up the north side of the estate. If the main gate is the estate's face to the south, the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse is its face to the road on the north.
A Floating Roof and Layered Walls
The roof is an okiyane (Okiyane), a separate timber roof set on top of the sealed earthen body of the storehouse and finished as a gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki). The gap between the two gives a layer of air that protects the contents from fire and heat. A small tiled eave projects on the south side.
The walls change from floor to floor. The ground floor is clad in horizontal boards held by notched battens (Shitami-itabari); the upper floor is finished in Shikkui plaster, with a thickened band (Hachimaki) under the eaves. The east and west gable ends are boarded vertically. Komono Town adds that plasterers' techniques such as exposed-aggregate mortar can be seen on the walls.
The doorway on the south has a copper-clad sliding door, and the roof is framed with sloping rafter-beams (Nobori-bari). It is register no. 24-0280, registered under the historic landscape criterion.
What the Storehouse Holds
Yokoyama Yoji's essay passes on several stories about the inside of the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse. Many Edo-period dishes and trays were found in it, a sign that the family, as village headmen, entertained villagers here.
On the upper floor is a household Shinto shrine still holding its old paper talismans; when the storehouse was sorted out in 2017, they were left in place. The handrail of the stair between the floors is made from the carrying pole of a palanquin, thought to be one used by a head of the family in the Edo period.
Komono Town's page notes that the storehouse is used as a gallery.
Seeing the Storehouse
Because the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse stands beside the road on the north side, part of its exterior can be seen from that road, one of the few parts of the estate visible without going in. It is a residential street, so if you stop, be considerate of the neighbors.
Whether the interior is currently open has not been confirmed. Visiting conditions are covered on the Yokoyama Family Residence group page.
Q&A
- When was the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1830 to 1868). It was repaired around 1919 and in 2016, and registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on April 3, 2020.
- What is the okiyane roof of the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse?
- A separate timber roof set on top of the sealed earthen storehouse body, here a gabled pantile roof, leaving an air gap between the two.
- How are the walls of the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse finished?
- Board cladding on the ground floor, plaster on the upper floor with a band under the eaves, and vertical boarding on the east and west gables. The door is copper-clad.
- What is inside the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse?
- According to the family, a household shrine with old talismans on the upper floor, and a stair handrail made from a palanquin carrying pole.
- Can the Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse be seen from outside?
- Part of the exterior can be seen from the road on the north side. It is a residential area, and the owner asks visitors to respect the neighbors.
Basic Information
| Name | Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse (横山家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2657 Aza Nakazato, Oaza Komono, Komono Town, Mie District, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 24-0280 |
| Year Designated | Registered April 3, 2020 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled building, tiled roof, building area 24 square meters |
| Owner | Waiwai Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Part of the exterior visible from the road to the north. Interior access unconfirmed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013265
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yokoyama Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/378144
- Registered Cultural Property: Yokoyama Family Residence (Komono Town, in Japanese)
- https://www2.town.komono.mie.jp/site/kankou/2028.html
- Komono Cultural Properties Newsletter, Issue 34 (Komono Town Board of Education)
- https://www2.town.komono.mie.jp/uploaded/attachment/5102.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.27
