Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie Storehouse

The Storehouse of Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie

The Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie Storehouse (奈良町にぎわいの家蔵) is a clay-walled storehouse of the late Edo period in Nishinoshinyacho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 26 square metres, altered in the early Taishō period and repaired in 2015; it is one of four Registered Tangible Cultural Properties at the site, registration number 29-0252.

A Storehouse Kept through the Rebuilding

The Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie Storehouse stands against the south side of the annex, facing east, with a lean-to roof over its front that connects to the covered corridor (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The roof is gabled and laid with traditional round and flat tiles. While the main house, annex and waiting arbor are registered at 5-1 Nakanoshinyacho, the storehouse is registered at 19-2 Nishinoshinyacho.

When the Ōsumi family rebuilt the house after completing the site in 1912, the storehouse was not pulled down; it was repaired and kept in use (guide leaflet).

Why It Was Registered

The Agency registered it as a model of design: the clam-edge finish on its main timbers shows an old way of working, and it is one of the older storehouses among the townhouses of central Nara, keeping a traditional layout. The guide leaflet goes further, dating it to the late Edo period or earlier and counting it among the oldest storehouses in the Naramachi district.

Marks of a Rounded Adze

The main timbers of the Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie Storehouse were dressed with a chōna adze whose blade is curved like a clam shell, a tool that leaves shallow, rounded scoops on the surface. This finish is a sign of age and one of the reasons the building is dated so early (Agency for Cultural Affairs; guide leaflet).

What to Look For

Around the entrance of the Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie Storehouse, look for the rows of rounded scoops left by the adze on the timbers; the leaflet illustrates them with a photograph. Notice too how the lean-to at the front meets the corridor from the annex, the point where the Taishō builders tied the old storehouse into the new house.

Visiting

Inside, the Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie Storehouse serves as an exhibition corner and is part of the free visit during opening hours (official website). We found no official guidance on photography. Opening hours and directions are on the Naramachi Nigiwai-no-Ie page.