What the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse Is
The Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse (渡邊家住宅酒蔵, Watanabe-ke Jūtaku Sakagura) is a Meiji-era Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse on the Watanabe family's property in Aburatsu, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2006 (registration number 45-0038). The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the Meiji period, between 1868 and 1911.
It stands southeast of the main house, at the back of the lot, beside the small storehouse. The building is 5 bays long and 3 bays deep, a single storey under a Kirizuma-zukuri gable roofed with Sangawara-buki pan tiles, with a building area of 67 square metres.
The Agency describes the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse as a trace of a trade the household practised for a time. As the name says, that trade involved brewing.
Why It Was Registered
The storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. The Watanabe, known as Kyoya, grew as shipping agents from 1834, and this building shows that the family business reached beyond shipping.
It was registered on the same day as the main house and the west and small storehouses. In the layout of the compound, with the house on the street and three storehouses behind, this is the one that stood for the family's work rather than its household stores.
What to Look For
The walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster, but the detail that sets this storehouse apart is under the eaves. Instead of leaving the rafters exposed, the builders plastered the eave soffits right up to the roof edge and worked the surface into a wave pattern, so the shadow line along the eaves ripples rather than running straight.
The entrance is on the north gable end, toward the west corner. A small tiled canopy shelters a pair of hinged, plaster-clad fire doors, and the canopy itself is sealed in plaster too. Wall, doorway and canopy are all wrapped in earth and lime, which is how a dozo storehouse was made to resist fire. Entering through the gable end in this way is the Tsumairi arrangement.
At 5 by 3 bays it is the second largest of the three storehouses, after the west storehouse.
Visiting the Sake Storehouse
The Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse stands inside private grounds and its interior is closed. Because it sits at the back of the lot, southeast of the main house, only limited views are possible from public roads. Do not enter the property; look from the street.
Photography is likewise limited to what can be seen from the road. Directions to the residence are on the Watanabe Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Miyazaki
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse
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Q&A
- Can you take photos of the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse?
- Only of what is visible from the public road. It stands at the back of the lot, so what can be photographed from the road is limited. Do not enter the grounds, and keep clear of the entrance, as this is a private household.
- Can you visit the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse?
- The Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse is on private property and its interior is closed. It stands at the back of the lot, so views from the street are limited, and the grounds cannot be entered.
- When was the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the Meiji period, between 1868 and 1911.
- Why is the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It records a trade the Watanabe household practised for a period, and it was registered on March 27, 2006 for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation.
- What are the main features of the Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey earthen-walled storehouse, 5 by 3 bays, with a gabled, tiled roof. The lime-plastered walls continue into wave-patterned plaster under the eaves, and the north gable has a tiled canopy over plaster-clad double doors. The building area is 67 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Watanabe Family Residence Sake Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-3-1 Aburatsu, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, gabled roof with sangawara tiles, 5 by 3 bays, building area 67 square metres |
| Owner | Private (not published in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private property; no entry to the grounds) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 渡邊家住宅酒蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005529
- Nichinan City, Aburatsu Historic and Cultural Heritage Town Development Plan (March 2024, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nichinan.lg.jp/material/files/group/8/aburatsumachizukuriplan_20240329.pdf
- Nichinan City, Aburatsu Cultural Heritage Promotion Project (Japanese)
- https://www.city.nichinan.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/miraisoseika/2/5/5062.html
- Miyazaki Digital Museum, List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Miyazaki (Japanese)
- https://www.miyazaki-archive.jp/d-museum/bunka/ichiran2_01_10.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
