Ninomiya Family No. 1 Storehouse
To the west of the main house stands a compact two-story vault set on a north-south line, the No. 1 Storehouse of the Ninomiya estate. Built in 1875 (Meiji 8), it measures five ken by two and covers about 33 square meters. The footprint is small, but the building was the family's bunko-gura, the vault that held documents and valuables, and it was finished with matching care.
A clay-roofed pent shelters a doorway placed toward the north end of the east face. The vault sits on a stone footing; its lower walls are battened weatherboard and the upper walls white plaster, with the eaves soffit also plastered over so that no exposed timber meets the outside air.
Why It Is Registered
The No. 1 Storehouse was registered in 2006 under the criterion of serving as a model of form. Two details carry that judgment. The family crest is raised in plaster on the gable, and the heavy door is finished in kakego-nuri, a stepped layering of plaster along the closing edges that lets the door seat tightly against fire and damp.
A document vault was where a landowning house kept the papers that proved its holdings and its standing, so it was built to last and built to look dignified. The crest and the careful door are the signs of that intent, and they are why this small building was singled out for the register.
Seeing the Storehouse
The vault belongs to a private estate that the Ninomiya family still occupy, so close inspection is possible only during the seasonal opening of the garden and rose garden, roughly late May to mid-June. Even then the building is best read from the outside.
Look first at the gable, where the molded crest sits high in the white plaster, then at the door, where the stepped edges of the kakego work catch the light in a series of fine ledges. These are the marks of a vault meant to protect what mattered most to the household.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Niigata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ninomiya Family Residence No. 1 Storehouse
- [ Sado Island & Echigo-Yuzawa Ski Resort Tours ]
Questions and Answers
- What was kept in the No. 1 Storehouse?
- It served as a bunko-gura, a document and treasure vault. A landowning family kept here the papers recording its holdings along with valued possessions.
- Why is there a crest on the wall?
- The family crest is raised in plaster on the gable. It signals that the vault belonged to a house of standing and was built with extra care.
- What is 'kakego-nuri'?
- A stepped layering of plaster along the edges of a storehouse door. The interlocking ledges close tightly and improve resistance to fire and moisture.
- How does it differ from the rice storehouse?
- The rice storehouse is a long single-story granary for rent-rice; this is a small two-story vault for documents and valuables, finished more finely.
- Can the building be entered?
- No. It stands within a private residence. The grounds open for a short season each year, and the vault is viewed from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Ninomiya Family Residence, No. 1 Storehouse (Ninomiya-ke Jutaku Ichigo Dozo) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1087 Hasuno, Seiro, Kitakanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); Registration No. 15-0243 |
| Registered | November 29, 2006 (gazetted December 19, 2006) |
| Date | 1875 (Meiji 8) |
| Structure | Two-story plastered storehouse, tiled roof; building area approx. 33 m2; 1 unit |
| Dimensions | 5 ken by 2 ken |
| Owner | Ninomiya family (private residence) |
| Access | Private estate; garden and rose garden open seasonally, roughly late May to mid-June |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005964
- Niigata Tourism Navigator: Ninomiya Garden Seishoen and Rose Garden
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/experience/11906
- Maipure (Shibata-Tainai-Seiro): History of the Ninomiya Family
- https://shibata-niigata.mypl.net/article/ninomiyaketeien_shibata-niigta/11615
Last verified: 2026.06.25