What Is the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse?
The Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse (旧平林家住宅（一星亭）南土蔵, Kyū Hirabayashi-ke Jūtaku Ichiboshi-tei Minami Dozō) is a two-storey earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri storehouse built in 1859 on the Hirabayashi family estate in Ikusaka Village, Nagano Prefecture, and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 5 December 2019. It covers 20 square meters and includes a wall.
It stands to the southwest of the main house, its ridge running north to south. Unlike the east and west storehouses, which sit together behind the house, it is the only store on the front side of the estate. The roof is a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri of Sangawara-buki pantiles.
It is the smallest of the three storehouses. The national database also records that it was repaired between 2008 and 2017.
A Late Edo Store That Frames the Estate
The Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse was registered as No. 20-0557 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse of the final years of the Edo period that, together with the main house, preserves the layout of the estate as it once was.
In 1859 Yokohama and other ports opened to foreign trade under the treaties signed the year before. The estate's storehouses went up one after another over about 20 years, the east in 1840, the west in 1856 and this one in 1859, making it the last of the three.
Black Plaster and a Torii-Shaped Door Frame
The eye goes first to the lower wall of the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse. A border in the shape of the Mokkō quince motif is drawn on it, and the area inside is finished in black Shikkui plaster, so that a dark quince shape stands out against the white wall. Neither of the other two storehouses has this. Above the skirting, the plaster continues up into the underside of the eaves.
The doorway opens on the east face, set in a frame shaped like a torii shrine gate, with the top beam projecting past the posts on either side. According to the Agency, the face opposite the doorway is protected with Namako-kabe tiles.
Small as it is, with its black skirting, torii frame and tiled wall, it is the most elaborately finished of the three stores.
Visiting the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse
The interior of the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse is closed. The village Board of Education occasionally holds guided viewings of the estate; whether the storehouse is opened depends on each event.
Because the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse stands on the front side, southwest of the main house, it is one of the first buildings you see on a viewing day. Look for the east doorway and the black quince shape on the lower wall. On other days, please do not enter the grounds and view the estate from the road.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse built?
- In 1859, the last of the three storehouses on the estate. It was repaired between 2008 and 2017.
- Why is the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- As a late Edo storehouse that, with the main house, preserves the layout of the estate. It was registered on 5 December 2019 as No. 20-0557.
- What makes the Ichiboshi-tei south storehouse look different?
- Its lower wall carries a quince-shaped border filled with black plaster, and its east doorway sits in a torii-shaped frame.
- Where is the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse located on the estate?
- Southwest of the main house, with its ridge running north to south. The other two storehouses stand together behind the house on the north side.
- Can I see inside the Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse?
- The interior is closed. The village Board of Education holds occasional guided viewings; check the village newsletter for dates.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse (旧平林家住宅（一星亭）南土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5497 Ikusaka Village, Higashichikuma District, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 20-0557 |
| Year Designated | Registered 5 December 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 20 square meters, with wall |
| Owner | Ikusaka Village |
| Public Access | Not normally open (occasional guided viewings by the village Board of Education) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hirabayashi Family Residence (Ichiboshi-tei) South Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013112
- Cultural Heritage Online: South Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/452010
- Koho Ikusaka, February 2025 issue (notice of the Ichiboshi-tei viewing, PDF, in Japanese)
- https://www.village.ikusaka.nagano.jp/gyousei/kouhou/pdf/2025.02.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.28
