Ninomiya Family No. 5 Storehouse
Four vaults stand in a line on the estate, and the No. 5 Storehouse closes that line at its south end. Built in 1908 (Meiji 41), it is a two-story plastered vault of seven and a half ken by two and a half, covering about 73 square meters. A doorway on the north face, set toward the east, lines up with the door of the neighboring No. 4 Storehouse, so the row was planned to work as a group.
The lower walls are namako-kabe, a grid of square tiles jointed with raised white plaster, named for the rounded ridges that recall a sea cucumber. Above, the walls are finished in plain white plaster. On the east gable, two hinged plaster shutters of kakego work are set one above the other, lighting the two floors.
Why It Is Registered
The No. 5 Storehouse was registered in 2006 as a model of form, under the criterion that singles out the estate's better vaults. The namako lower wall is both practical and ordered: the tile grid resists rain and snow at the most exposed level while giving the wall a clear geometric rhythm that carries along the whole row.
The value lies less in any single feature than in how the building completes a set. Reading the four vaults together, the No. 5 supplies the southern bracket, and its paired shutters and lattice base keep the line consistent rather than letting it trail off.
Seeing the Storehouse
Set within the private grounds, the vault is best seen during the seasonal opening of the garden and rose garden, roughly late May to mid-June. Approach from the north and the doorways of the row align in a way that rewards a straight-on view.
On the east gable, find the two plaster shutters stacked one over the other and trace the namako tilework at the base, where the raised plaster joints form a regular diamond grid. The pattern is easiest to read in raking light, when each ridge throws a thin shadow.
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Questions and Answers
- What is 'namako-kabe'?
- A wall faced with square tiles set in a grid and jointed with raised white plaster. The rounded plaster ridges give it the name, which means sea-cucumber wall, and they shed rain and snow at the wall base.
- Why are the four vaults built in a row?
- They were planned as a group. The No. 5 doorway lines up with the No. 4 doorway, and the matching shutters and lattice bases keep the line visually consistent.
- When was it built?
- In 1908 (Meiji 41), later than the 1875 vaults on the estate, as the family added storehouses over several decades.
- What are the paired windows on the gable?
- Two hinged plaster shutters finished in kakego work, set one above the other to light the lower and upper floors of the two-story vault.
- Can I go inside?
- No. The vault stands in a private residence. The grounds open for a short season each year, and the building is viewed from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Ninomiya Family Residence, No. 5 Storehouse (Ninomiya-ke Jutaku Gogo Dozo) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1087 Hasuno, Seiro, Kitakanbara District, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); Registration No. 15-0247 |
| Registered | November 29, 2006 (gazetted December 19, 2006) |
| Date | 1908 (Meiji 41) |
| Structure | Two-story plastered storehouse, tiled roof; building area approx. 73 m2; 1 unit |
| Dimensions | 7.5 ken by 2.5 ken; south end of a row of four vaults |
| 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/101/00005969
- 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