A Rice Store That Became a Bathhouse
The Shioya Former Large Storehouse (塩屋旧大蔵) is a storehouse of the late Edo period in Honmachi, Taketamachi, Taketa City, Oita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 118 square metres, altered in about 1958 and again in 2011; registration number 44-0199.
From Rice Store to Public Bath
The Shioya Former Large Storehouse stands on the west side of a side lane (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a two-storey building whose plan is a slight trapezoid, the long walls differing in length on the east and west sides; it has a gabled roof of interlocking tiles, and its walls are finished flush in lime plaster, the Ōkabe manner that hides the frame. Inside, the northern half is divided east to west into separate baths for men and women.
According to Tourism Oita, the building stored rice until the war years and was later converted into a public bathhouse. The official site of Okura Shimizuyu, the cafe now in the building, says it reopened as the Shimizuyu bathhouse in 1958 and closed in 1982; Tourism Oita gives the bathhouse years as 1955 to 1981, so the sources differ slightly.
The official site says Art Space Cafe Okura Shimizuyu opened in 2012 as part of an urban renewal plan for the Taketa district. It describes the building as a rice store of the mid-Edo period, whereas the Agency dates it to the late Edo period.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that the Shioya Former Large Storehouse keeps traces of its changing uses inside and out and adds colour to the townscape of Taketa; it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Inside the Shioya Former Large Storehouse, the tubs, taps and tiles of the old bathhouse are still in place (Tourism Oita). The official site explains that the former bathing area now holds the cafe tables, while the upper floor is used for exhibitions by local artists.
From outside, look at the broad plastered walls and the large gabled roof. Because the plan is a trapezoid, the east and west walls are not quite the same length.
Visiting
The Shioya Former Large Storehouse operates as Art Space Cafe Okura Shimizuyu, so the interior can be seen during opening hours. The official site lists 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on irregular days, and a walk of about 10 minutes from Bungo-Taketa Station on the JR Hohi Line (checked November 12, 2026). No guidance on photography has been published.
Q&A
- What has the Shioya Former Large Storehouse been used for?
- It stored rice until the war years, became the Shimizuyu public bathhouse and is now a cafe and gallery.
- Can I go inside the Shioya Former Large Storehouse?
- Yes, during cafe hours; the official site lists 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on irregular days.
- Are traces of the bathhouse still visible in the Shioya Former Large Storehouse?
- Yes, the tubs, taps and tiles remain, and the Agency records the northern half as men's and women's baths.
- When was the Shioya Former Large Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period according to the Agency, with alterations in about 1958 and in 2011.
- When was the Shioya Former Large Storehouse registered?
- On October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shioya Former Large Storehouse (塩屋旧大蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 509 Honmachi, Taketamachi, Taketa City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/10/28 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, building area 118 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Interior open during cafe hours (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., irregular closing days) |
References
- Shioya Former Large Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009100
- Art Space Cafe Okura Shimizuyu (official site, Japanese)
- https://ogura-shimizuyu.jp/
- Art Space Cafe Okura Shimizuyu (Tourism Oita, Japanese)
- https://www.visit-oita.jp/spots/detail/9260
- Taketa City Historic Landscape Plan, Chapter 2 (Taketa City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.taketa.oita.jp/material/files/group/23/chapter2.pdf
Last verified: 2026.11.12
