The Family Strongroom of 1906
The Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse (旧伊藤家住宅土蔵) is an earthen storehouse of 1906 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 held the household goods 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 79 square metres; registration number 15-0517.
A Six-Bay Storehouse
The Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse stands toward the north of the former plot, its ridge running east to west; it is six bays long and two storeys high (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The gabled tile roof is of the Okiyane type, and the door is on the south side, behind an open lean-to carried on posts.
The walls are plastered, with a thick band, the Hachimaki, below the eaves and Namako-kabe tiling on the ground floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Small windows open only on the east side downstairs and the south side upstairs; most of the wall is unbroken plaster.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency describes it as a large storehouse for the household goods of an old family, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. At 79 square metres, it is the larger of the two storehouses of the Former Ito Family Residence.
What to Look For
On the Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse, see how the plaster band under the eaves and the tiled lower walls divide the white walls into tiers (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Only the south side, with the door, has the open lean-to, which sets it apart from the other, almost windowless faces.
Visiting
The Former Ito Family Residence 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 storehouse, rice storehouse and workshop usable among its future measures. Ask the Tainai City Board of Education about any openings.
Q&A
- When was the Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1906 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was kept in the Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse?
- The Agency describes it as a large storehouse for the household goods of an old family.
- What does the Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse look like?
- Plastered walls with a band below the eaves and namako-kabe tiling on the ground floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse?
- No official information on interior access was found.
- When was the Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- On December 5, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse (旧伊藤家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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, 79 m² |
| Owner | Tainai City |
| Public Access | No official information on regular opening (city-owned, works planned) |
References
- Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013076
- Former Ito Family Residence Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/432572
- 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
