What Is the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
The Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse (旧増岡家住宅内蔵, Kyū Masuoka-ke Jūtaku Uchikura) is an early Showa-period (1926 to 1945) storehouse for household goods standing in the middle of a former soy sauce brewing merchant's plot in the old castle town of Uda-Matsuyama, in Ōuda-Nishiyama, Uda City, Nara Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024. It is a 2-storey building in Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled construction, with a tiled roof and a building area of 32 square meters.
Registered as number 29-0360, the Inner Storehouse qualified for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it keeps much of the feel it had when first built and that, together with the Annex next to it, it shapes the center of the Masuoka plot. Where the Outer Storehouse held rice and miso, the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse was meant for the family's belongings.
An Earthen Storehouse under a Separate Roof
The Masuoka Inner Storehouse has a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof with its ridge running parallel to the entrance side, in the Hirairi arrangement, and covered in Sangawara-buki tiles. The roof is of the Okiyane type: a separately framed roof set on top of the thick clay body of the storehouse, leaving a gap between the two.
The outer walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster, and the lower part of the walls is clad in Yakisugi, cedar boards charred on the surface to resist rain and wear. The contrast between pale plaster above and dark boards below is the key to the building's look. Inside, both floors are lined with boards.
A Corridor That Doubles as the Anteroom
On the east side of the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse, a corridor runs to the Annex, and that corridor also serves as the storehouse's Kuramae, the anteroom set in front of a storehouse door. At the Masuoka house, the passage between the Annex and the storehouse is the space you cross before entering the store.
The walls of this anteroom are left at the intermediate coat of plaster, without the white finishing coat used outside. The earthy color and texture of the base plaster show through, so the same storehouse looks quite different on its exterior walls and in its anteroom.
Visiting the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Inner Storehouse stands in the middle of the Nanone guesthouse grounds, and essentially only overnight guests can get close to it. According to the guesthouse, guests who ask can be shown the storehouse. No arrangement for drop-in visits could be found.
Because the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse sits behind the Main House, it can hardly be seen from the public road. The charred-cedar cladding and the plain-plastered anteroom are details to look for during a stay.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- It dates from the early Showa period (1926 to 1945).
- Why is the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on March 6, 2024, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, keeping its original character and shaping the center of the plot together with the Annex.
- What was the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse used for?
- It stored household goods. The rice and miso storehouses are combined in the Outer Storehouse at the north end of the plot.
- How are the walls of the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse finished?
- The outer walls are lime plaster with charred cedar boards on the lower part, while the anteroom corridor is left at the intermediate coat of plaster.
- Can visitors see the Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It stands inside the Nanone guesthouse grounds, and overnight guests can ask to be shown it. It is hardly visible from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 91 Nishiyama, Ouda, Uda City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 6, 2024 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 32 m² |
| Owner | Nature Core Science Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Inside the Nanone guesthouse grounds. Guests may be shown it on request. Hardly visible from the public road |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014907
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Masuoka Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/531257
- Uda City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.uda.lg.jp/soshiki/41/1088.html
- Nanone: Stay plans (in Japanese)
- https://www.nanone.net/info20240726_nanoneplan.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
