About the Storehouse
The Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse (旧中村家住宅土蔵, Kyū Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a 2-story earthen-walled storehouse built in 1897 in Amami, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2023. It stands on the north side of the Nakamura estate, behind the main house, and the national database records a renovation in the late Showa period.
With a footprint of 26 square meters, it is the smallest of the five registered buildings at the Former Nakamura Family Residence. The roof is a simple gable (Kirizuma-zukuri) with the entrance on the long side (Hirairi). It is roofed in slate today but was originally tiled. The study in the northwest corner of the estate is attached to its west side.
A Separate Roof and Plastered Eaves
The Nakamura storehouse has an Okiyane, a roof built as a separate frame and set on top of the plastered body of the building. The arrangement is usually explained as a fire precaution: if the roof burned, the sealed body below could survive. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out how carefully the underside of the eaves and the purlins that carry the roof have been encased in Shikkui lime plaster.
Inside, both floors are boarded and the inner walls are lined with timber, which keeps stored goods off the earthen walls.
Split Pine Beams and an Inscribed Ridge Beam
Climb to the upper floor of the Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse and the roof framing is exposed. According to the national description, the beams are curved timbers made by splitting extremely thick pine logs in half. Osaka Bunkazai Navi also features them as beams that keep the natural shape of the wood, and the bends of the unsawn logs give the roof space its character.
What draws the most attention is an ink inscription on the ridge beam (Munagi). Kawachinagano City transcribes it as reading, in effect, "timber for the four pillars of grand sumo, mid-eleventh month of Meiji 24," followed by the names Umenotani and 國米 and the word ozeki. Taken at face value, it identifies the wood as material for the four corner pillars that once stood around a sumo ring, gives a date in November 1891, and records names together with the sumo rank of ozeki. None of the published sources explains how an inscription dated 1891 came to be on the ridge beam of a storehouse built in 1897.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse was registered as a building that has become a model of its type. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the carefully plastered separate roof, and it treats the ridge-beam inscription as a valuable example relating to groundbreaking and ridge-raising rites. Kawachinagano City likewise calls it a record of how those ceremonies were conducted at the time.
From outside, look up at the eaves. Instead of exposed rafters and purlins, the soffit is wrapped in smooth plaster, a finish that took real effort on a building this small.
Seeing the Storehouse
Because the storehouse sits behind the main house on the north side of the estate, it is hidden from the courtyard inside the gate. You can see the exterior by walking round the side of the main house to the north. There is no published information on whether the interior, the upper-floor beams or the inscription can be viewed, so ask the cafe staff if you are interested.
There is no guidance on photography either. Be considerate of cafe guests, and check with the staff before heading into the back of the property. Directions and opening days are on the Former Nakamura Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Osaka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse
- [ USJ Tickets Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse built?
- It was built in 1897, and the national database records a renovation in the late Showa period.
- What is written on the ridge beam of the Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse?
- An ink inscription that refers to timber for the four pillars of grand sumo, gives a date in November 1891 (Meiji 24), and records the name Umenotani, a second name (國米) and the sumo rank of ozeki. The Agency for Cultural Affairs regards it as a valuable example relating to groundbreaking and ridge-raising rites.
- What is the okiyane roof on the Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a roof built as a separate frame and set on top of the plastered body of the storehouse. Here the eaves and purlins are carefully encased in lime plaster.
- What are the beams like inside the Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse?
- The upper floor has curved beams made by splitting very thick pine logs in half, keeping the natural bend of the wood.
- When was the Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2023, under registration number 27-0891.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse (旧中村家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 346 Amami, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2023 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 26 square meters (2-story earthen-walled storehouse, slate roof) |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Operates as a cafe (partly open) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014647
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/605199
- Kawachinagano City: Former Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kawachinagano.lg.jp/site/history/89362.html
- Osaka Bunkazai Navi: Sansen Sozen Kyuemon (Former Nakamura Family Residence)
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E5%B1%B1%E5%B7%9D%E8%8D%89%E8%86%B3-%E4%B9%85%E5%8F%B3%E8%A1%9B%E9%96%80%EF%BC%88%E6%97%A7%E4%B8%AD%E6%9D%91%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%EF%BC%89
Last verified: 2026.09.29
