What the Grain Storehouse Is
The Hoashi Family Branch Residence (Shoseki Furokan) Grain Storehouse (帆足家分家住宅（松石不老館）穀物蔵, kokumotsugura) is a storehouse built in 1889 in Hetsugi Honmachi, Nakahetsugi, Oita City, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 November 2005. It stands on the western edge of the property, running north to south and facing east. At 7 by 3 bays and 93 square metres, it is the largest storehouse on the estate.
It is a 2-story Dozo-zukuri building under a Kirizuma-zukuri roof of pantiles. Two sliding doors open in the east wall, and an open-sided Geya lean-to runs the full length of that side. The whole sits on cut stone with its floor raised well above the ground.
The date, 1889, is shared with the miso storehouse next door. That makes these two the oldest dated buildings on the property, 17 years older than the main house of 1906.
Why It Was Listed
The Hoashi Family Branch Residence Grain Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The ACA calls it the largest storehouse of the household and describes it as imposing.
A grain store held rice, barley and other staples, which had to be kept dry and safe from rats. Raising the floor on cut stone and wrapping the store in thick earthen walls met both needs.
For a family whose main line served as senior village headmen, grain reserves were likely a measure of standing as well. A storehouse 7 bays long, anchored on the west boundary with two doors and a long lean-to on its east face, reads as the centre of the estate's stores.
What to Look For
The working face is the east side. Two sliding doors sit side by side, and the open lean-to runs in front of them along the full length of the building, so sacks could be loaded and unloaded in the rain. Two doors and a long covered apron are the marks of a store built to move grain in bulk.
Follow the eave line of the lean-to to take in the length of the Hoashi Family Branch Residence Grain Storehouse. The building's full 7 bays become one long horizontal along the western edge of the property.
Then look north. The miso storehouse, built in the same year of 1889, continues from the grain store's north end on the same alignment. Together the two buildings form the property's western boundary.
Visiting
The Hoashi Family Branch Residence (Shoseki Furokan) Grain Storehouse is not open to the public (checked 25 September 2026). It stands on the western edge of the plot, the point farthest from the eastern street, and cannot be seen from the road.
It is a storehouse deep in private grounds. Please do not try to look in from outside or enter the property.
Directions to the site as a whole are on the Hoashi Family Branch Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hoashi Family Branch Residence (Shoseki Furokan) Grain Storehouse
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Hoashi Family Branch Residence Grain Storehouse built?
- In 1889, the same year as the miso storehouse next to it and 17 years before the main house of 1906.
- How big is the Hoashi Family Branch Residence Grain Storehouse?
- 7 by 3 bays, with a building area of 93 square metres. It is the largest storehouse on the property.
- What is on the east side of the Hoashi Family Branch Residence Grain Storehouse?
- Two sliding doors and an open-sided lean-to running the full length of the wall.
- Why is the floor of the Hoashi Family Branch Residence Grain Storehouse raised?
- It sits on cut stone with a raised floor, a common way to keep stored grain away from ground damp.
- Can you see the Hoashi Family Branch Residence (Shoseki Furokan) Grain Storehouse?
- It is not open to the public and cannot be seen from the eastern street.
Basic Information
| Name | Hoashi Family Branch Residence (Shoseki Furokan) Grain Storehouse (帆足家分家住宅（松石不老館）穀物蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4361 Oaza Nakahetsugi, Oita City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 44-0109 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/11/10 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri storehouse, 2 stories, tiled roof, building area 93 square metres; 7 by 3 bays |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database |
| Public Access | Not open to the public; set deep in the plot and not visible from the road |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 帆足家分家住宅（松石不老館）穀物蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005064
- Cultural Heritage Online: 帆足家分家住宅（松石不老館）穀物蔵
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/117944
- Oita City: History and Culture of Hetsugi Honmachi (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.oita.oita.jp/o204/machizukuri/toshi/1014449890810.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
