The Oldest Building on the Estate
The Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse (旧伊藤家住宅米土蔵) is a rice storehouse of the late Edo period in Kurokawa, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 5, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is the oldest of the three buildings left on the estate of the Itos, a family of village headmen.
The Agency records a two-storey earthen storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 70 square metres, dated to the late Edo period (1830 to 1868); registration number 15-0518.
A Rice Store Divided by One Post
The Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse stands southeast of the storehouse, its ridge running north to south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The gabled tile roof is of the Okiyane type, set on its own frame above the earthen walls, and a lean-to roofed in metal sheet runs along the west side. The walls are plastered, with Namako-kabe, square tiles set in raised plaster joints, on the ground floor; small windows open in the upper walls on every side but the south.
Inside, a thick post set toward the north end divides the space (Agency for Cultural Affairs). North of the post there is an upper floor; to the south the room rises open to the roof.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency describes it as a large rice store with a spacious interior and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Itos served as ōjōya, headmen over a group of villages, in the Edo period (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and this rice store dates from that time.
What to Look For
On the outside of the Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse, notice that the small upper windows open only on the east, west and north, leaving the south wall blank (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The west lean-to is roofed in metal sheet rather than tile. If you get a chance to go inside, look for the thick post and the full-height space to its south.
Visiting
The Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse belongs to Tainai City, but no official information on interior access or photography was found. The city's heritage plan of March 2025 lists works to make the three buildings usable among its future measures. The western half of the plot is owned by the Ito family, so mind the boundary when looking from outside.
Q&A
- When was the Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period; the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1830 to 1868.
- Where is the Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- In Kurokawa, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture, southeast of the storehouse on the former Ito estate.
- What is inside the Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- A thick post divides it: an upper floor to the north and a full-height space to the south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- No official information on interior access was found; Tainai City plans works to put the buildings to use.
- When was the Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- On December 5, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse (旧伊藤家住宅米土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1432-2 Kamimachi Kurokawa, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/12/05 (Reiwa 1) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, 70 m² |
| Owner | Tainai City |
| Public Access | No official information on regular opening (city-owned, works planned) |
References
- Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013077
- Former Ito Family Residence Rice Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/447173
- Report on registered tangible cultural properties (structures), July 19, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/91972801_01.pdf
- Tainai City Plan for the Preservation and Use of Cultural Properties, March 2025 (Tainai City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.tainai.niigata.jp/kurashi/kyoiku/bunkazai/documents/chiikikeikakuhonbunkanzenban.pdf
Last verified: 2026.11.09
