The Storehouse Behind the Garden
The Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse (巣山家住宅東土蔵) is a two-storey earthen storehouse of 1932 in Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 4, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse roofed in sheet iron, with a building area of 24 square metres; registration number 20-0090.
The Shimo-no-kura
The Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse stands in the middle of the plot, behind the main house across a garden (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The household called it the Shimo-no-kura and kept furnishings and tableware in it. An ink inscription on the ridge beam dates its raising to 1932, a year before the main house.
It is a two-storey building with a gabled roof. The West Storehouse stands beside it across a passage, and one continuous sheet-iron roof covers the pair (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency points to the careful finish: the lower walls are faced in namako-kabe, square tiles set in raised plaster joints, and the upper walls are rendered in white lime plaster. It was registered as a model of design.
What to Look For
The contrast between the tiled lower walls and the white plaster above is the thing to see (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The neighbouring West Storehouse leaves its upper plaster without a finishing coat, so the two side by side show the difference under a single roof.
The shared roof over both storehouses is itself a feature of the Suyama plot.
Visiting
The Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse stands behind the main house across a garden (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on interior access was found, and how much of it can be seen from the street was not confirmed. Please do not enter the property.
Q&A
- When was the Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse built?
- An inscription on its ridge beam dates it to 1932 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was the Suyama East Storehouse used for?
- Known as the Shimo-no-kura, it held furnishings and tableware.
- How do the Suyama East and West Storehouses differ?
- The East Storehouse has a white plaster finish above its tiled lower walls; the West leaves its upper plaster without a top coat.
- Can I visit the Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse?
- No official information on interior access was found.
- When was the Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse registered?
- On December 4, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse (巣山家住宅東土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1561-1 Nishimachi, Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/12/04 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen storehouse, sheet-iron roof, 24 m² |
| Owner | Sakai Sangyo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access |
References
- Suyama Family Residence East Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002036
- Suyama Family Residence West Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002037
Last verified: 2026.10.19
