Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura: a Western roof truss inside an earthen storehouse
The Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura (蔵の郷土館齋理屋敷時の蔵, "the storehouse of time") in Marumori, Miyagi Prefecture, is a two-storey earthen storehouse from the mid-Meiji period (1883–1897), registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 26, 2011.
It stands southwest of the Sumai no Kura across a narrow lane, on its own plot with the address 68-1 Machinishi. With a building area of 60 square metres, only the Shop Storehouse is larger.
Why it was registered
This is a dozo-zukuri storehouse with a detached gabled roof (okiyane) of sheet metal, running north-south, 11 metres long and 5.5 metres deep. Its walls are lime plaster over namako-kabe, with a black plaster hachimaki under the eaves.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to two refinements. First, the roof is carried on a Western-style truss (yogoya), triangulated in the European manner rather than stacked in the traditional Japanese way. Second, the brackets holding up the eaves are carved. Here a mid-Meiji merchant in a provincial town was already mixing imported building technique into a traditional fireproof storehouse.
What to look for
According to the museum, the Toki no Kura keeps the family's emblem, an American-made clock that has been running for more than 130 years and still strikes once an hour. Photographs of the Saito family are also on display. A 2019 town report described the ground floor as memories of the clock and the upper floor as the people of the Sairi house. The museum presents this storehouse as the last stop among the historic buildings.
Outside, look up under the eaves for the carved brackets, which cast small shadows on the white wall and are easy to miss. If you can, time your visit to be nearby when the clock strikes the hour.
Seeing the Toki no Kura
The Toki no Kura is across the lane at the back of the compound, and its exhibits are included in Sairi Yashiki admission. Most visitors reach it, with the Warabe no Kura, at the end of the route. The truss is part of the roof structure, so how much of it you can see from the upper floor is worth checking on site.
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Q&A
- Is the clock in the Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura still working?
- Yes. According to the museum, the American-made clock has kept time for more than 130 years and strikes once an hour.
- When was the Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura built?
- In the mid-Meiji period (1883–1897). It was registered in 2011.
- What is architecturally special about the Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura?
- It has a Western-style roof truss inside a traditional earthen storehouse and carved brackets under the eaves, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out.
- How big is the Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura?
- It is 11 metres long and 5.5 metres deep, with a building area of 60 square metres.
- Can visitors go inside the Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura?
- Yes, with Sairi Yashiki admission. It stands southwest of the Sumai no Kura across a lane.
Basic Information
| Name | Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura (蔵の郷土館齋理屋敷時の蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 68-1 Machinishi, Marumori Town, Igu District, Miyagi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/1/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, sheet-metal roof, building area 60 square metres (11 metres long, 5.5 metres deep) |
| Owner | Marumori Town |
| Public Access | Open to the public as a museum exhibition building (admission charged) |
References
- Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Toki no Kura (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008402
- About Sairi Yashiki (official website, Japanese)
- https://sairiyashiki.com/about/
- Overview of six Marumori tourism facilities including Sairi Yashiki (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 2019, Japanese)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001273141.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
