What Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse Is
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse is a two-storey timber kura of 1896 in Kojima Ajino, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, entered on the national register of tangible cultural properties in 2000. It stands west of the main house pantry with its ridge running north to south.
The walls are finished in namako, flat tiles set in a grid with the joints raised in rounded ridges of white plaster, a treatment common on merchant houses and storehouses around the Seto Inland Sea. Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse held the equipment used for banquets.
The roof is gabled and the entrance is on the long side. At 186 square metres, this is the second largest structure on the Taikado estate after the main house.
Why It Is Registered
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse was registered in 2000 with the number 33-0034, under the criterion of contribution to the historic landscape of the nation, as one building in the Taikado group.
What makes it more than a shed is a shift in the plan. Over the southern 3.5 bays the depth increases by half a bay compared with the northern part, and the ground floor of that widened section is a room of 10 mats. A storehouse with a place to sit inside it is not the usual arrangement.
Serving a banquet in a hall of one hundred mats meant moving trays and vessels in quantity. Placing the storehouse directly opposite the pantry, and building a working room into it, is design aimed at making a reception estate actually run.
What to Look For
The grid of the namako wall is the first thing to take in at Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse. Squares of tile alternate with raised white plaster, and when light strikes at an angle the joints throw shadows. The wall looks quite different on a clear day and a cloudy one.
Look for the point where the depth changes as well. Following the wall from the north, the plane steps out slightly toward the south end, a planning decision showing on the outside of the building.
Note also how close the pantry is. The two face each other with barely more than a passage between them, keeping the carry from store to hall as short as possible.
Visiting
The interior of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse is closed and cannot be entered. The exterior can be seen only by those inside the grounds during the Kojima Hinameguri festival.
To study the namako wall, choose a time when the light falls on it directly and the raised joints stand out. Whether the route around the west side of the main house is opened varies from year to year, so follow the signage on the day, and the same applies to photography. Directions and the current opening dates are on the Nozaki Family Villa Taikado page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- What was kept in Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse?
- Banquet equipment. It served as the utensil store and stands opposite the pantry of the main house.
- How are the walls of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse finished?
- In namako work: flat tiles laid in a grid with the joints raised in rounded white plaster.
- Is there a living space inside Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse?
- Yes. The southern 3.5 bays are half a bay deeper than the northern part, and the ground floor there is a 10-mat room.
- How large is Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse?
- Two storeys of timber covering 186 square metres, under a gabled tile roof.
- What is the registration number of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse?
- 33-0034. It was entered on the register of tangible cultural properties on 28 April 2000.
Basic Information
| Name | Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-8-34 Kojima Ajino, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 186 m2 |
| Owner | Naikai Salt Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed; opened during the Kojima Hinameguri festival |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001632
- Nozaki Family Villa Taikado, Main House and Twelve Other Structures (Kurashiki City)
- https://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/culture/art/1007596/1007597/1011206/1007792/1007796.html
- Kojima Hinameguri (Kurashiki City, Kojima Branch Office)
- https://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/culture/tourism/1001881/1011764/1008061/1011533.html
Last verified: 2026.09.13
