Kawai Genshichiro Family Residence Outer Storehouse

What Is the Kawai Genshichiro Family Residence Outer Storehouse?

The Kawai Genshichiro Family Residence Outer Storehouse (河合源七郎家住宅外蔵, Kawai Genshichirō-ke Jūtaku Sotogura) is a mid-Meiji 2-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse in Kitayagi-cho, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 2, 2009. Nara Prefecture dates it to the late 1890s. It stands deep in the southeast of the estate, behind the southern end of the main house across the service passage.

It measures 7.6 meters by 5.6 meters, with a building area of 43 square meters, almost twice the size of the estate's inner storehouse. The roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable in Hongawarabuki tiling.

Why It Was Registered

The Kawai Genshichiro outer storehouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country, but not the landscape of the main road. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, its outer wall lines up with the south wall of the main house to form one continuous face along a historic lane on the south edge of the plot. It does for the back lane what the inner storehouse does for the street.

Nara Prefecture calls it the tatsumigura, from the old compass name for southeast, and notes that it stands against the line of a former moat. The rear of the estate, in other words, ran right up to the old defensive ditch at the edge of the town. At the time of registration it was used to store household equipment.

With the inner storehouse projecting to the street at the northwest corner and the outer storehouse backing onto the lane and moat at the southeast, the two storehouses anchor opposite ends of the estate.

A Note on the Dimensions

The prefecture's report heads the entry with 5.6 by 3.9 meters but gives 7.6 by 5.6 meters in its text. The heading repeats the inner storehouse's figures and looks like a copying error. The national database gives 7.6 and 5.6 meters, which also matches the 43 square meter area, and this article follows it.

What to Look For

The walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster, with Namako-kabe tiling along the base of the east and west sides. The inner storehouse armors its street face with granite and boards; the Kawai Genshichiro Family Residence Outer Storehouse uses tile on both ends and lets its south wall run on from the main house. The finish of each storehouse was chosen for whoever would see it.

The tiled gable roof is a size larger than the inner storehouse's, with rows of round tiles running the full 7.6-meter ridge, the heaviest roof mass at the back of the estate.

How to Visit

The Kawai Genshichiro Family Residence Outer Storehouse lies deep inside the estate, and neither it nor its surroundings are open to the public (checked September 27, 2026). From the Shimotsumichi it is hidden behind the main house and the boundary wall.

We could not confirm from the sources whether the lane along the south edge of the plot is open to general foot traffic. It is a narrow residential passage, so please be considerate of residents if you walk there.