The Store at the Back
The Sato Family Residence Storehouse (佐藤家住宅土蔵, Satō-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse built around 1879 in the old castle town of Taketa, Oita Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2006.
The national database places it behind the main house, on the west side. It measures 3 by 2 and a half ken, with a building area of 29 square metres, under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles. It is the smallest of the four registered Sato buildings.
The main house, the miso storehouse and the former shop all line the street; the Sato Storehouse alone sits deep in the plot. Taketa City's townscape plan describes it the same way, as the storehouse placed at the rear of the property.
Why It Was Registered
The Sato Storehouse was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape, as number 44-0128, the last of the four consecutive Sato numbers.
The national database calls it modest in scale but valuable for preserving the layout of a merchant's property. A merchant house was never just its street front: shop and living rooms faced the road, and the family's goods were kept in a fireproof store behind. With the storehouse still standing, the Sato compound keeps that depth, not only its facade.
What to Look At
Windows and door
The database records the openings of the Sato Family Residence Storehouse in detail: one window on the east side of the ground floor, two windows in each gable on the upper floor, and the door in the south gable. Keeping openings few and small is how a storehouse protected its contents from fire and theft.
Plastered walls
The walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster. In earthen-walled construction the timber frame is buried in thick layers of clay and then plastered, which makes the building highly resistant to fire.
Its place in the compound
The storehouse stands west of and behind the main house, the point farthest from the street. With the three street buildings dated to 1879 and the storehouse to about the same year, the four seem to have been built as a set.
Visiting
The Sato Family Residence Storehouse is privately owned, and as of October 2026 there was no notice of public access.
Because it stands at the back of the plot, it is hard to see from the street on the east side, unlike the three buildings in front. Where the exterior can be seen from has not been confirmed. Please do not enter the grounds.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sato Family Residence Storehouse
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Sato Family Residence Storehouse in Taketa built?
- It is dated to around 1879 and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2006.
- How big is the Sato Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of 3 by 2 and a half ken, with a building area of 29 square metres, the smallest of the four Sato buildings.
- Where does the Sato Storehouse stand on the property?
- Behind the main house on its west side, at the rear of the plot away from the street.
- How are the windows and door of the Sato Storehouse arranged?
- One window on the east side of the ground floor, two in each gable on the upper floor, and the door in the south gable.
- Can I see the Sato Family Residence Storehouse?
- No public opening had been announced as of October 2026, and because it stands at the back of the plot it is hard to see from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Sato Family Residence Storehouse (佐藤家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 102-2 Taketamachi and other lots, Taketa City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/11/29 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 29 square metres |
| Owner | Private (owner field blank in the national database) |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (at the back of the plot, hard to see from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Sato Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006071
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sato Family Residence Storehouse
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/182286
- Taketa City, Historic Townscape Maintenance and Improvement Plan, Chapter 2 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.taketa.oita.jp/material/files/group/23/chapter2.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.08
