The smaller half of a matched pair
Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse is a two-storey plastered storehouse of the early Showa years, built after 1926, at 40 Higashi-Shinmachi in Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, entered on the national register of tangible cultural properties on May 7, 1997. It is the later and the smaller of the two storehouses standing side by side at the back of the Kajimura grounds.
The exterior repeats the design of its neighbour: plastered walls of the great-wall type, tiled roof, the same vocabulary of surface. What separates the two is scale. This building covers 25 square meters against the 33 of the eastern one.
Here is the interesting part. Although the western storehouse is smaller in plan, its ridge height and eaves height were set to match those of the older building next to it. The two therefore read as one composition from the yard, and a visitor who does not measure will take them for twins.
That decision cost something. Aligning a narrower building to the roof lines of a wider one means adjusting proportions inside the wall, and it was made for the sake of how the back of the estate would look rather than for how the storehouse would work.
Why the West Storehouse is on the register
Registration came on May 7, 1997, with the public notice on May 29 and the number 33-0011 assigned to the Joto Mukashi Machiya West Storehouse. It holds the status of a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion that the building is a model of its kind in form and design.
The national database gives two reasons. One is the care of the construction, which it treats as technically worth attention in its own right. The other is collective: together with the rest of the buildings, this storehouse lets a visitor understand the layout of a large merchant estate. That second point is why the whole compound was registered building by building rather than as a single entry.
Chronology makes the estate legible. The main house at the front is late Edo, the small service wing behind it early Meiji, the reception hall, the western building and the east storehouse are Taisho, and this storehouse and the tea house close the sequence in the early Showa years. The Joto district around them was selected as a Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2013.
What to look at
The comparison is the whole point. Stand where both storehouses are in view and read the two roof lines: the ridges level, the eaves level, the walls beneath them of different widths. Once you have seen that, the Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse stops being a lesser copy and becomes a deliberate piece of composition.
Look at the plaster surface next. Lime plaster over the great-wall construction leaves a smooth uninterrupted face with no post or beam showing, and any repair of it becomes visible as a change of texture. Reading those patches gives a rough history of the building's maintenance.
Check the corners and the base. The same tiled treatment used on the eastern storehouse appears here at the points that take the weather.
Look at how the storehouses sit relative to the garden as well. They form the back edge of the open ground, closing the view from the reception rooms.
Visiting
Entry is not possible for now. Tsuyama City owns the Kajimura estate and closed it on June 1 in 2025 for renovation work; the reopening has been announced for around November 2026, when part of the site is to serve as accommodation. Whether individual storehouses will be opened to visitors afterwards has not been stated. The contact number is 0868-22-5791.
Under the arrangements in force until the closure, admission was free and the compound opened from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m., closing on Tuesdays, on the day after a Tuesday public holiday, and from December 29 to January 3.
The estate lies about 25 minutes east of JR Tsuyama Station on foot, or roughly 10 minutes by car from the Tsuyama interchange on the Chugoku Expressway, with parking provided for the Joto district. The West Storehouse stands well inside the plot and cannot be seen from the public road, so there is nothing to view from outside while the gates are shut.
No photography policy has been published for the reopened compound; ask at the entrance.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse
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Q&A
- How does the Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse differ from the east one?
- It is smaller, 25 square meters against 33, and later, dating from the early Showa years rather than the Taisho era. Its ridge and eaves heights were matched to the eastern storehouse so the pair reads as one composition.
- When was the Joto Mukashi Machiya West Storehouse registered?
- On May 7, 1997, under register number 33-0011, as a model of its kind in form and design.
- Can I go inside the Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse?
- Not at present. The whole estate has been closed for renovation work since 2025, with a reopening announced for 2026. The storehouse is deep in the plot and invisible from the street.
- What is the Joto Mukashi Machiya West Storehouse built of?
- Timber framing buried in thick plaster walls of the great-wall type, with a tiled roof, over two storeys. It is the standard construction for a Japanese storehouse, executed here with unusual care.
- How do I reach the Joto Mukashi Machiya West Storehouse?
- Walk east from JR Tsuyama Station for about 25 minutes, or drive roughly 10 minutes from the Tsuyama interchange on the Chugoku Expressway and use the Joto district visitor car park.
Basic Information
| Name | Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 40 Higashi-Shinmachi, Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on May 7, 1997 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, floor area 25 square meters |
| Owner | Tsuyama City |
| Public Access | Closed for renovation work (since 2025); reopening planned in 2026 |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence) West Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000165
- Tsuyama Machijuu Museum, Digital Experience Guide: Old Machiya Townhouse of Joto
- https://tsuyama-machijuu.jp/en/guide/joto-mukashi/
- Okayama Kanko Web: Joto Mukashi Machiya (Former Kajimura Family Residence)
- https://www.okayama-kanko.jp/spot/detail_10509.html
Last verified: 2026.09.09