What is the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
The Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse (飯岡家住宅内蔵, Iioka-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a storehouse built in 1790 (Kansei 2) in Motokamitaguchi, Taguchi, in the Murō district of Uda City, Nara Prefecture, and was entered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2010.
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building, with thick earthen walls and a tiled roof, covering 37 square metres. At 6.5 metres along the ridge (Ketayuki) by 4.2 metres deep (Harima) it is a compact storehouse, and it stands northeast of the main house along a stone retaining wall.
Of the three buildings of the Iioka Family Residence, this is the only one the Agency for Cultural Affairs dates to a specific year. The main house is placed only broadly in the late Edo period and the rice storehouse belongs to the late Meiji period, so the inner storehouse is the oldest building on the property with a confirmed date.
Why the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse was registered
The Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. The Agency's description singles out the finish of its walls and the workmanship around its doorway.
An uchigura, or inner storehouse, usually means the storehouse kept close to the house for family possessions and valuables, as opposed to storehouses for goods or rice set farther out. At the Iioka homestead the inner storehouse sits just northeast of the main house, while the rice storehouse stands on the eastern boundary.
Namako walls, board skirts and a separate roof
The Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse has a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof running east to west, built as an Okiyane: a separate timber roof laid with Sangawara-buki tiles that sits over the plastered earthen roof of the store. The sealed layer below resists fire while the roof above sheds the rain.
The walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster, and the lower skirt changes from face to face. Only the south front, where the door is, has Namako-kabe, flat tiles set in raised white joints; the other three sides are clad in vertical boards (Tateita-bari). The labour-intensive tile work went where people would see it, and plain boards protect the rest.
A stepped-plaster door and a trowelled lintel
The south doorway of the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse is sheltered by a small Hisashi canopy and closed by a pair of hinged doors in Kakegonuri, plaster built up in steps along the edges so that the doors seal tightly when shut.
The Agency notes that the Magusa, the lintel over the doorway, is carefully finished in trowelled plasterwork. The plasterer's effort is concentrated on the face of the store, and that doorway is the part of the building most worth looking at.
Visiting the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse is privately owned, and no interior opening has been announced. Nothing is published about the inside of the doors or the upper floor.
The features described here are all on the south side, but the inner storehouse stands northeast of the main house, toward the back of the plot, and we have not confirmed how much of it can be seen from the road. Please do not enter the grounds. Directions to the homestead are on the Iioka Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can I visit the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- No public opening or interior visits to the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse have been announced. It is privately owned, so please do not enter the grounds.
- When was the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- In 1790 (Kansei 2). It is the only one of the three buildings of the Iioka Family Residence dated to a specific year.
- How large is the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse 6.5 metres by 4.2 metres, with a building area of 37 square metres. The gabled roof runs east to west and is a separate tiled roof set over the store.
- What should I look for on the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- The south front: a namako tile skirt, hinged doors in stepped plaster (kakegonuri), and a lintel carefully finished in trowelled plaster. The other three sides have vertical board skirts.
- Why is the Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 10 September 2010 for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation.
Basic Information
| Name | Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1106 Motokamitaguchi, Taguchi, Muro Ward, Uda City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 10 September 2010 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 37 m², 6.5 m by 4.2 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008319
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iioka Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/170241
- Uda City: Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.uda.lg.jp/soshiki/41/1088.html
Last verified: 2026.10.22
