The Storehouse Behind the Wakihonjin
The Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse (旧小諸脇本陣土蔵) is the storehouse of a post-town wakihonjin of the early Meiji period in Ichimachi, Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 3, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 21 square metres; registration number 20-0562.
It stands east of the detached reception room and connects to the corridor running back from the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Built to hold household goods, it is dated to the early Meiji period and was renovated in 2019. Today it is the Kura guest room of Wakihonjin no Yado Kumeya (Kumeya).
White Plaster Walls and Two Boarded Floors
The Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse has a gabled roof of pantiles and is entered at the gable end (Tsumairi), with its door on the south side (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The walls are finished in white lime plaster, with a thickened plaster band, the hachimaki, running under the eaves. Inside, each of the two floors is a single boarded room, and the upper floor has windows on the south and east.
The conversion into a guest room left the posts and beams of the storehouse exposed and added an inner stair up to a bedroom on the upper floor, lit by daylight from the windows (Kumeya).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape, as one corner of the wakihonjin's household compound. While the main house and the detached reception room are dated to the late Edo period, the storehouse belongs to the early Meiji period and is the youngest of the three.
What to Look For
Look for the white plaster walls, the hachimaki band under the eaves and the door in the south gable end (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Inside, the room is framed by the sturdy posts and beams of the original storehouse (Kumeya).
Visiting
The Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse is in use as the Kura guest room, so only overnight guests can go inside (Kumeya). Kumeya takes guests from Thursday to Monday (Mondays only for bookings of five or more) and closes entirely on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It stands deep in the plot and is hard to see from the street without staying.
Q&A
- When was the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Meiji period; it was renovated in 2019.
- Can I see inside the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse?
- It is the Kura guest room, so only overnight guests can go inside (Kumeya).
- What should I look for at the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse?
- The white plaster walls, the hachimaki band under the eaves, the south door and the heavy posts and beams inside.
- What was the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse used for?
- It held the household goods of the wakihonjin (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse registered?
- On April 3, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse (旧小諸脇本陣土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-18 Ichimachi, Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/04/03 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, 21 m² |
| Owner | Komoro City |
| Public Access | In use as the Kura guest room (interior for overnight guests only) |
References
- Former Komoro Wakihonjin Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013251
- History of Kumeya (Wakihonjin no Yado Kumeya, Japanese)
- https://www.kumeya.com/story/
- Stay and Facilities (Wakihonjin no Yado Kumeya, Japanese)
- https://www.kumeya.com/stay/
Last verified: 2026.10.20
