Northern Culture Museum Ledger Storehouse

A Storehouse on the South Wall

The Northern Culture Museum Ledger Storehouse (北方文化博物館帳庫, Chōko) in Somi, Konan Ward, Niigata City, is a two-storey timber storehouse of the early Showa era, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2000.

The Northern Culture Museum Ledger Storehouse stands along the southern wall at the front of the estate and was used to store the Ito family's household goods. It covers 43 square metres. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says it is thought to date from the early Showa era.

Heavy Timbers, Solid Build

The Northern Culture Museum Ledger Storehouse was registered as a building that would be difficult to reproduce. It has a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) roof with the entrance on the long side (Hirairi), hinged double doors facing the main house, and a canopy in front of them.

It sits on a low base, with white Shikkui plaster above and Namako-kabe tilework below. The agency highlights the heavy, solid construction, with thick posts and beams throughout.

Generous timbers on a small building gave it the strength to protect what it held.

Doors Facing Inward

The doors of the Northern Culture Museum Ledger Storehouse open toward the main house, not toward the street. With the canopy, they show that the storehouse was reached from inside the estate.

Note where the tilework meets the plaster, and how the walls meet the low base. The Copper Gate and Wall and the bathhouse also stand along this southern side.

Visiting the Ledger Storehouse

The Northern Culture Museum Ledger Storehouse is on the south side of the museum grounds, along the wall. Nothing is published about interior access, so expect to see the exterior.

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