The Inner Storehouse at a Glance
The Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse (西田家住宅内蔵, Nishida-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of the early Showa period in Minoyamacho, Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 February 2004. Its building area is 32 square metres.
Uchigura means a storehouse drawn inside the fabric of the house, and that is exactly where this one stands, running north to south between the West Wing and the South Wing of the main house. It has a gabled kirizuma roof of traditional round-and-flat tiles set in the okiyane manner.
Why It Was Registered
The Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse was registered as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it both the core of the estate's appearance and a fine example of a storehouse with finely worked decoration.
Because it links two wings of the main house, the storehouse is the knot that ties the complex together; to get from the West Wing to the South Wing you move along its flank.
Floating Roof and Namako Walls
An okiyane, or floating roof, is built as a separate structure set just above the mud-plastered body of the storehouse. The gap between roof and walls is said to help with fire protection and to steady the temperature inside. At the Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse the floating roof is finished in traditional tiles.
A lean-to on the east side serves as a corridor. The walls are finished differently on each face: the south, north and west sides in vertical boarding, and only the east wall, facing the corridor, in namako work, where flat tiles are fixed to the wall and the joints raised in white plaster. It is labour-intensive, and it has been used only where people actually walk past. The decoration here is placed with the viewer in mind.
Seeing It for Yourself
The Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse sits deep inside the estate, surrounded by the main house, so it is unlikely to be visible from the road. It is not open to the public.
The namako wall faces an internal corridor, so the storehouse is best known through photographs and the Agency's description.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse
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Q&A
- Can you see the Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse from outside?
- Probably not. The Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse stands between the West and South wings in the middle of the estate, and it is not open to the public.
- What is the floating roof on the Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- A roof built as a separate structure above the plastered body of the storehouse. The air gap is said to help with fire protection and temperature control.
- Where is the namako wall on the Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- Only on the east wall, which faces the corridor. The other three sides are finished in vertical boarding.
- How big is the Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a gabled tiled roof and a building area of 32 square metres, with a lean-to corridor on the east.
- When was the Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse registered?
- On 17 February 2004, under registration number 29-0078.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 37-1, 2, 3 Minoyamacho, Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/02/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 32 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Nishida Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003899
- Yamatokoriyama City: Registered Cultural Property No. 2, Nishida Family Residence
- https://www.city.yamatokoriyama.lg.jp/soshiki/machidukuri_senryaku/rekishi_bunkazai/bunkazai101/y_bunkazai/1839.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
