Built tall for storage
This rice storehouse stands on the western edge of the Dairo-an precinct, a long, narrow building running north to south. It dates from the early Showa period and was made to hold provisions such as food.
The trick of its design is vertical. The beam span across the width is kept short, while the columns are long, so the interior rises into a high, generous volume well suited to storage.
Why it was registered
Registered on 25 May 2000, the storehouse was recognised as difficult to reproduce. Its form follows its use with unusual directness, from the tall interior down to the two sliding doors set for loading and access.
It is gabled and pantiled, with an eave on the east side, and its lower walls are boarded thickly over a shinkabe frame in which the posts remain visible, a practical, honest way to build a store.
Reading a working store
Seen from outside, the building's long, low proportions and the thick boarding along its base mark it plainly as a store rather than a room for living. The two sliding doors show where goods went in and out.
It belongs to the northern working cluster of the estate and is best read alongside the other storehouses, each shaped to a particular kind of keeping.
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Q&A
- What was stored here?
- Provisions such as food; the building's tall interior was designed to make good use of vertical space for storage.
- Why is the interior so high?
- The width has a short beam span while the columns are long, raising the ceiling for generous storage volume.
- What is a shinkabe frame?
- A wall type where the timber posts stay visible; here it is combined with thick lower boarding for a practical store.
- When was it built?
- In the early Showa period, on the western edge of the Dairo-an precinct.
Basic Information
| Name | Northern Culture Museum Rice Storehouse (Komegura) |
|---|---|
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); registered 25 May 2000 (registration no. 15-0105) |
| Period | Early Showa period |
| Structure | Single-story timber frame, tile roof, floor area approx. 88 m² |
| Location | Somi, Konan Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Owner | Northern Culture Museum (general incorporated foundation) |
| Open to public | Yes, as part of the Northern Culture Museum |
| Hours | 9:00-17:00 (Apr-Nov), 9:00-16:30 (Dec-Mar) |
| Admission | Adults 800 yen, children 400 yen (as of 2025; elementary and junior-high students free on Sundays and holidays) |
| Access | About 25 minutes by car from JR Niigata Station; roughly 10 minutes from the Niigata-Kameda or Niitsu interchange |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs National Cultural Properties Database — Northern Culture Museum Rice Storehouse (Komegura)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001695
- Northern Culture Museum (official site)
- https://hoppou-bunka.com/
- Niigata Tourism Navigator — Northern Culture Museum
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/spot/5559
Last verified: 2026.07.02