What is the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building?
The Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building (河野家住宅裏土蔵東棟, Kawano-ke Jūtaku Ura-dozō Higashitō) is a late Edo-period storehouse for household goods on the north side of the Kawano family's compound in Uchida-cho, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, standing just east of the west building, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Registered Tangible Cultural Property) on March 6, 2024. It is a single-story Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 26 square meters.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period (1830 to 1868), with renovation in the late Meiji period. Where the west building rises to 2 stories, the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building stays low and spreads sideways, so it actually covers more ground than its neighbor. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country, and the agency credits its solid exterior with shaping the north edge of the compound.
A long, low storehouse
The Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building has its ridge running east to west under a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri). The roof is an Okiyane, framed separately and set over the storehouse body, and laid with round and flat tiles (Hongawarabuki). There are 2 doorways on the south side, sheltered by a pent roof (Geya) of interlocking pan tiles (Sangawara-buki) that keeps rain off the doors and gives a dry place to load and unload.
Inside are 2 rooms, both with board floors. With 2 doorways, each room can presumably be reached from outside on its own, which suggests different household goods were kept in each.
A plaster eaves band and a tiled east gable
The walls of the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building are finished in lime plaster (Shikkui), with a thickened band (Hachimaki) running under the eaves to stop fire from getting in at the roof line. On the east gable end, the lower wall is Namako-kabe: flat tiles set in a grid with their joints raised in white plaster.
Izumi City also points to the tiled lower wall on the east face. Only the east gable has it, so the decoration faces the street that runs along the east side of the compound, where the front gate, the front storehouse and the rear gate stand. It seems the side seen from the road was the one given the finer finish.
Visiting the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building
The Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building stands at the back of the compound on its north side. The sources checked for this article do not say if its interior is open, or if visitors can get close to the tiled east gable, so ask the Kawanotei operator when you visit.
The grounds of Kawanotei can be entered during gallery and café hours, but its information does not say if visitors may walk to the storehouses at the back.
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Q&A
- What was the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building used for?
- It stored household goods. The west building next door held clothing and bedding.
- When was the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building built and registered?
- It dates from the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) and was renovated in the late Meiji period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024.
- What does the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building look like?
- A single-story gabled storehouse with a separate tiled roof, white plaster walls, a plaster band under the eaves and a namako-kabe tiled base on the east gable.
- How is the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building laid out inside?
- It has 2 board-floored rooms, with 2 doorways on the south side under a pent roof.
- Can I visit the Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building?
- It is unconfirmed if the interior is open. Because it stands at the back of the compound, ask the Kawanotei operator if you can see it up close.
Basic Information
| Name | Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building |
|---|---|
| Location | 236 Uchida-cho 3-chome, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 6, 2024 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse, single story, tiled roof, building area 26 m² |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Interior access and close viewing unconfirmed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014877
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse West Building (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014876
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kawano Family Residence Rear Storehouse East Building (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/531227
- Izumi City: Kawano Family Residence to Become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (November 24, 2023, Japanese)
- https://www.city.osaka-izumi.lg.jp/kakukano/syougaibu/bunkaisan/bunkazai_event/19452.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
