Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura: where the clerks lived
The Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura (蔵の郷土館齋理屋敷住の蔵, "the living storehouse") in Marumori, Miyagi Prefecture, is a two-storey earthen storehouse from the early Meiji period (1868–1882), registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 26, 2011.
It stands west of the Shop Storehouse across the garden, with the Nariwai no Kura beside it to the north. If the street-front shop was where the business showed its face, this storehouse is about the people who kept it running from behind.
Why it was registered
The Sumai no Kura is classic dozo-zukuri: two storeys of clay-walled construction under a detached gabled roof (okiyane) of sheet metal, entered from the gable end (tsumairi). It measures 8.4 metres by 4.8 metres, covering 40 square metres. The east gable, facing the main house, has a doorway below and an opening above, both closed by paired doors.
The walls are white lime plaster above a band of namako-kabe, with the hachimaki under the eaves and other trim picked out in black plaster that, in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' words, tightens the whole composition. Next door, the Nariwai no Kura of the same period exposes its timber frame; the Sumai no Kura keeps everything sealed in earth, the conventional way.
What to look for
According to the museum, more than 20 live-in clerks, known as banto-san, worked at Sairi Yashiki at any one time. The Sumai no Kura shows their daily life through dioramas. Do not miss the walls of their rooms, where graffiti from the period survives untouched, small marks left by young employees living far from home. A 2019 town report described the ground floor as covering household ingenuity and the upper floor as dedicated to the young clerks.
Outside, face the east gable from the garden. The black band at the top of the wall and the diamond tiling at the bottom frame the white plaster between them.
Seeing the Sumai no Kura
The storehouse sits at the far side of the garden, and its exhibits are included in Sairi Yashiki admission. The graffiti is original wall surface, so look without touching. Displays may change, so check what is on during your visit.
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Q&A
- How do you read the name of the Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura?
- Sumai no Kura, meaning the living storehouse. That is the reading in the national database.
- What can you see inside the Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura?
- Dioramas of the live-in clerks' daily life, and period graffiti left on the walls of their rooms, according to the museum.
- When was the Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura built?
- In the early Meiji period (1868–1882). It was registered in 2011.
- How is the Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura built?
- As a 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse with a detached gabled sheet-metal roof, 8.4 metres by 4.8 metres, with namako-kabe tiling and black plaster trim.
- Can visitors go inside the Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura?
- Yes, with Sairi Yashiki admission. It stands west of the Shop Storehouse across the garden.
Basic Information
| Name | Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura (蔵の郷土館齋理屋敷住の蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 25 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 40 square metres (8.4 metres long, 4.8 metres deep) |
| Owner | Marumori Town |
| Public Access | Open to the public as a museum exhibition building (admission charged) |
References
- Kura no Kyodokan Sairi Yashiki Sumai no Kura (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008400
- 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
