What Is the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
The Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse (兒山家住宅内蔵, Koyama-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is the storehouse for household goods on a wealthy farming family's estate in Tokikita, Naka Ward, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture; it was built in the late Edo period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 February 2002. It is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse covering 39 square meters.
It stands behind the main house and is joined to it by the connecting wing. The name uchigura, "inner storehouse," most likely reflects that link to the living quarters, in contrast to the free-standing outer storehouse at the corner of the lot.
A Storehouse Without Ornament
The Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse has a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) roof in Hongawarabuki tiles. Its walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster above a skirting of Tateita-bari vertical boarding. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it uses no decorative elements at all.
Plain does not mean careless. The bargeboards and rafters are sealed in plaster so that no timber is left exposed, a fireproofing measure that took real effort even if it adds nothing to the look.
Tall and Straightforward
The agency describes the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse as conspicuous on the estate for its tall, plain form. Rising behind the main house, it shapes the northern skyline of the property.
The outer storehouse on the same estate is finished more elaborately, with its eaves and verge plastered in one continuous surface. The inner storehouse relies on height and simplicity instead. Comparing the two shows how storehouses of the same period were built differently according to their role. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Visiting the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse
The Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse is part of a private home, and the interior is closed.
The Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse stands directly behind the main house, so from the south front it lies beyond both the gatehouse and the house. Please view the estate from the public road and do not enter the property.
Q&A
- What is the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- A late Edo-period 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse of 39 square meters for household goods, joined to the main house by the connecting wing.
- When did the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 14 February 2002, as registration number 27-0171, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- What does the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse look like?
- A gabled, fully tiled storehouse with white plaster walls and a vertical-board skirting. It has no ornament, but even the bargeboards and rafters are sealed in plaster.
- How does the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse differ from the outer storehouse?
- The inner storehouse is a tall 2-storey building linked to the house; the outer storehouse is a free-standing single-storey building at the northwest corner with more elaborately plastered eaves.
- Can I visit the Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, and because it stands behind the main house it is hard to see from the front of the estate.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse (兒山家住宅内蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1404 Tokikita, Naka-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 27-0171 |
| Year Designated | Registered 14 February 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 39 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed to the public (exterior viewing from the public road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Koyama Family Residence Inner Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002650
- Koyama Family Residence (Sakai City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/kanko/rekishi/bunkazai/bunkazai/torokuseido/koyamakejutaku.html
- Koyama Family Residence (Sakai Tourist Guide, in Japanese)
- https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/spot/detail/219
Last verified: 2026.09.28
