What the West Storehouse Is
The Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse (岩根家住宅西蔵, Iwane-ke Jūtaku Nishigura) in Gokenya 2-chome, Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture, is a single-storey timber storehouse of the early Showa period (1926 to 1945), registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015. It covers 98 square meters under a gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki).
It stands in the middle of the estate's west edge with its ridge running north to south, and joins the large sake brewery at its north end. It measures 13 meters by 5.7 meters.
Despite the name, it is not an earthen-walled storehouse but a timber building. The Agency for Cultural Affairs treats the west storehouse as part of the brewery, one of the buildings that make up the look of the sake works.
Built for Work
On its southeast side, facing into the estate, the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse has an open lean-to (Geya) with no walls. It is sheltered space for loading, unloading and working out of the rain, just what a brewery store needs.
The west face, by contrast, stands on a stone wall. It is boarded vertically to about waist height, and a continuous eave runs above the windows.
The Agency also notes that round logs are used for the beams and for the framing of the lean-to. Using barely dressed logs for beams is common in working buildings, where strength and speed of construction mattered more than a finished look.
The Brewery's Last Addition
The early Showa years in which the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse was built mark the end of the family's brewing era; Tondabayashi City says the Iwane brewed sake from the early Meiji period into the early Showa years. The west storehouse is one of the last extensions to the brewery, added onto the great Meiji-era brewing hall.
The kangobei fence that encloses the southwest side of the estate runs from the south storehouse to the corner of the west storehouse, so the west storehouse links the brewery to the fence and completes the west edge of the compound. It is register no. 27-0638, registered under the historic landscape criterion.
Seeing the West Storehouse
The interior of the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse is not open. The southeast side, with the lean-to, faces into the grounds and cannot be seen from outside. How much of the west face on its stone wall can be seen from a public road has not been confirmed.
Because the kangobei fence ends at the corner of the west storehouse, you can look along the fence from the road to the southwest to find where it meets the building. Access and viewing conditions for the estate are on the Iwane Family Residence group page.
Q&A
- What is the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse?
- A single-storey timber storehouse in the middle of the estate's west edge, joined to the sake brewery at its north end. It measures 13 meters by 5.7 meters under a gabled pantile roof, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs treats it as part of the brewery.
- When was the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse built?
- In the early Showa period (1926 to 1945). It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on November 17, 2015.
- Is the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse an earthen-walled storehouse?
- No, it is built of timber. Its west face stands on a stone wall, boarded to waist height with a continuous eave over the windows, and round logs are used for the beams and lean-to framing.
- Where is the lean-to on the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse?
- An open lean-to without walls runs along the southeast side, which faces into the estate.
- Can the Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse be seen from outside?
- The interior is not open, and the lean-to side faces into the grounds. How much of the west face can be seen from a public road has not been confirmed. The Iwane Family Residence is not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse (岩根家住宅西蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1525-1 Gokenya, Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 27-0638 |
| Year Designated | Registered November 17, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey wooden building, tiled roof, building area 98 square meters, 13 meters long, 5.7 meters wide |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010840
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iwane Family Residence West Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/247295
- Registered Cultural Property: Iwane Family Residence (Tondabayashi City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.tondabayashi.lg.jp/site/bunkazai/2558.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
