A Store of 1854, Moved in the Meiji Era
Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse (中房温泉土蔵, Nakabusa Onsen Dozo) is a two-storey timber storehouse built in 1854 at Nakabusa Onsen in Hodaka Ariake, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 July 2011. It carries registration number 20-0377.
It stands southeast of the Main Building Kiku, right beside the Itakura Storehouse, under a gabled sheet-metal roof with its ridge running north to south. At 4.6 metres by 3.0 metres, with a building area of 14 square metres, it is compact. The doorway sits in the middle of the west wall and is fitted with a pocket door that slides into the wall.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the store was moved here during the Meiji era; where it came from is not recorded. Of the seven registered properties at Nakabusa, only this one and the Tamura Yakushido of 1848 are dated to a specific year.
An Earthen Store That Is Really Timber
The name dozo means an earth-walled storehouse, but the core of this one is timber. The Agency describes horizontal planks set between square posts, with earth apparently plastered over the outside. The earthen skin would have added protection against fire and damp to a store framed in wood.
The Agency regards it as a characteristic example of a type found widely in mountain villages, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Instead of building up thick earthen walls from scratch, as in the dozo-zukuri storehouses of town merchants, mountain builders made frame and walls from the timber at hand and saved the earth for the finish.
Hoyano Shigeo of Shinshu University counts the Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse, with the Itakura Storehouse, among the structures that show the spa as it was before the modern era.
What to Look For
Go round to the west side and look at the doorway. The door disappears into the wall when opened, so it never blocks the narrow passage outside, a neat solution for a small store.
Two storeys on a span of only 3.0 metres makes for a slim, upright building, clearest when seen from the gable end. The Itakura Storehouse next door is single-storey and long and low; side by side, two stores of the same era differ plainly in height and in the finish of their walls.
Seeing the Building
The Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse stands inside a working inn. Its exterior can be seen from within the grounds by overnight guests and by those booking one of the inn's day plans, which include a walk past the registered buildings. Interior access is not advertised.
No photography rule is posted, but guests move through this area, so be considerate. Season and transport details are on the Nakabusa Onsen page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nagano
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse built?
- In 1854. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it was moved to its present site during the Meiji era.
- Does Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse have earthen walls?
- Its frame and walls are timber, with planks set between square posts, and earth appears to have been plastered over the outside. The Agency describes it as a characteristic mountain-village storehouse.
- How large is Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey timber building 4.6 metres by 3.0 metres, with a building area of 14 square metres.
- Can visitors see Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse?
- Overnight guests and day-plan users can see the exterior from within the grounds. Interior access is not advertised.
- Where is Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse on the site?
- Southeast of the Main Building Kiku, right beside the Itakura Storehouse. The doorway is in the middle of the west wall.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse (中房温泉土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7226 Hodaka Ariake and other lots, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration number 20-0377 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/07/25 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, gabled sheet-metal roof, building area 14 sq m, 4.6 m by 3.0 m |
| Owner | Nakabusa Onsen Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable within the grounds by overnight guests and day-plan users; interior access not advertised |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008690
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nakabusa Onsen Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/185691
- Hoyano Shigeo, essay on the mountain culture of Nakabusa Onsen (Nakabusa Onsen website)
- https://nakabusa.com/pdf/historyandnature_03.pdf
- Nakabusa Onsen official website (baths, history, day plans)
- https://nakabusa.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
