What the Kodama Family Residence Storehouse Is
The Kodama Family Residence Storehouse is a two-storey thick-walled storehouse of 1901 in the Wa district of Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2000 under the number 20-0078.
It occupies the southeast corner of the compound, on the old Matsushiro to Netsu highway, raised on a hexagonal-pattern stone retaining wall so that anyone on the road looks up at it. The plan is 6 bays by 3, with a building area of 60 square metres.
The pantiled gable roof runs east to west and is framed separately from the storehouse body, a detached roof set above the walls. A lean-to on the north side shelters the working space in front of the doors.
Why It Was Registered
The listing criterion is the one for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape. The national register describes the storehouse, the front gate, the west gate and the roadside stonework as together producing the look of a small castle. Standing high on the corner, this is the face the compound turns to the road.
Work on the compound ran from 1893 to 1910, and the storehouse belongs to the early phase, 1901. The ground was graded and walled first, and the storehouse was set on the corner of that new platform, which is what fixed the character of the whole frontage.
What to Look For
The lower wall is faced with flat stones laid like masonry, and above it the surface is finished in namako-kabe, dark tiles jointed with raised white plaster. Read from the road, the stone retaining wall and the wall of the storehouse run together as one continuous surface.
Notice that the roof does not sit directly on the building. A detached roof leaves an air layer between the tiles and the thick earthen walls, keeping heat and damp away from the contents. Where the gap shows under the eaves, that is the construction at work.
Behind the lean-to on the north side is the loading space in front of the doors, sheltered from rain. It can only be seen from inside the compound.
Visiting the Kodama Family Residence Storehouse
Because it faces the public road, the storehouse is the easiest of the 12 registered structures to see. Cross to the far side of the road and the building and its stone base fit into a single frame.
The interior is not open. Events are occasionally held inside on café days, so whether you can step in depends on what is happening that day.
Directions and viewing conditions for the compound as a whole are on the Kodama Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nagano
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kodama Family Residence Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Kodama Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1901, early in the building campaign that ran from 1893 to 1910.
- Can the Kodama Family Residence Storehouse be seen from outside?
- Yes. It stands on the old highway and is visible from the road at any time, raised above it on a stone retaining wall.
- What is the storehouse's wall finish?
- Flat stones are laid across the lower wall in the manner of masonry, and above them the surface is finished in namako-kabe, tiles with raised white plaster joints.
- Why is the Kodama Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- It was listed for contributing to the historic landscape, forming the castle-like roadside frontage together with the gates and the stone wall.
- What kind of roof does the storehouse have?
- A pantiled gable roof framed separately from the building, which leaves an air gap above the thick walls and keeps heat and moisture out of the store.
Basic Information
| Name | Kodama Family Residence Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 7785 Oaza Wa, Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2000 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Storehouse construction, 2 storeys, tile roof, building area 60 square metres |
| Owner | Yamatama Limited Company |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the public road; interior closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Kodama Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001813
- Tomi City: Kodama Family Residence
- https://www.city.tomi.nagano.jp/category/kenzobutsu/160195.html
Last verified: 2026.09.17
