The Sakata Family Residence Old Storehouse (Furudozo)
Of the five registered buildings on the Sakata grounds, this one is the eldest. The old storehouse, or furudozo, dates to the early Meiji period, somewhere between 1868 and 1882, which places it a generation or more before the timber new storehouse and the other earthen storehouse beside it. Reading the compound in order of age begins here.
It is also the smallest of the group, with a building area of about 31 square metres, roughly 6.1 metres along the ridge and 3.9 metres deep. Size, though, is not the measure of it. The national register calls the furudozo small in scale but soundly built, and that phrase captures the building well: a modest storehouse that has held its shape for a century and a half.
Details in the Plasterwork
The old storehouse stands east of the new storehouse, its ridge running east to west, carrying a separated roof (okiyane) of gabled form finished in flat pantiles. On the north side is an eave (hisashi), a projecting cover over that face.
The plaster finish here is handled with an eye for line. The walls are white plaster, but black plaster is set along the dado, across the north face, and around the lintels of the openings. Picking out the tops of doors and windows in dark plaster is a small refinement, framing each opening against the pale wall. Inside, pillars are raised at intervals of two shaku, about sixty centimetres, with boarded walls between them. The spacing is wider than in the newer earthen storehouse nearby, one of the quiet differences that separate buildings of different dates.
The Oldest Layer of the Farmstead
The furudozo was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property in January 2011, listed with the four other Sakata buildings under registration number 15-0327, for its contribution to the historic landscape. As the earliest surviving structure on the grounds, it anchors the timeline of a compound that grew across generations.
Seen this way, the Sakata property is not a single moment but a sequence. The Meiji-era old storehouse came first; the earthen and timber storehouses followed in the early Showa years; the main house, in its present form, is a post-war rebuild over late-Edo origins. Walking the grounds from the furudozo outward is, in effect, walking forward through the family's building history. Only the exteriors can be seen, so this comparison of dates and details is the heart of a visit.
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Q&A
- Why is it called the "old storehouse"?
- Because it is the oldest storehouse on the grounds, dating to the early Meiji period (1868–1882). The name distinguishes it from the newer "new storehouse" nearby.
- Is it the oldest building in the whole compound?
- Yes, it is the earliest of the five registered buildings. The other storehouses are early Showa, and the main house is a 1953 rebuild with late-Edo origins.
- What are the black-plastered areas around the openings?
- Black plaster is applied to the dado, the north face and the lintels above the openings. It frames each door and window against the white wall.
- How can I tell it apart from the other earthen storehouse?
- It is smaller and older, and inside its pillars are set about every two shaku, a wider spacing than in the newer earthen storehouse. It also carries an eave on the north face.
- Can I enter it?
- No. The exterior can be viewed at any time, but the interior is not open to visitors.
Basic Information
| Name | Sakata Family Residence Old Storehouse (Sakata-ke Jutaku Furudozo) |
|---|---|
| Location | 295 Kaminodai, Tsuchibori, Gosen City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registered 26 January 2011; No. 15-0327) |
| Registration criterion | Contribution to the historic landscape |
| Date | Early Meiji period (1868–1882) |
| Structure | Two-storey earthen-wall (dozo), pantile roof; 6.1 m along the ridge, 3.9 m deep; building area 31 m² |
| Count | 1 building |
| Access | Exterior viewable at any time; interior not open |
References
- National Database of Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Sakata Family Residence Old Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008433
- Cultural Heritage Online — Sakata Family Residence Old Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/224839
- Gosen City Official Website — Sakata Family Residence
- https://www.city.gosen.lg.jp/organization/21/7/1/1/1869.html
Last verified: 2026.07.07