What Is the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse?
The Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse (兒山家住宅外蔵, Koyama-ke Jūtaku Sotogura) is a free-standing storehouse at the northwest corner of 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 single-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse of 21 square meters.
It stands west of the barn and closes the western end of the northern range of buildings. Unlike the inner storehouse, which is joined to the main house, the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse stands alone at the corner of the lot.
Full Plasterwork on a Small Storehouse
The Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse has a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) roof in Hongawarabuki tiles, with Shikkui plaster walls over a Tateita-bari vertical-board skirting.
What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is the quality of the finish. Small as it is, and unlike the inner storehouse, its eaves and keraba, the verge at the gable ends, are plastered as one continuous surface. The rafter ends and the edges of the gables are wrapped in the same plaster as the walls, leaving no timber showing at the corners.
The inner storehouse makes its effect through height and simple form. The outer storehouse, second smallest of the ten registered buildings at 21 square meters, relies instead on the extra labor of its plasterwork to make a more complete storehouse.
Holding the Northwest Corner
The Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse occupies a prominent position at the northwest corner of the lot. The agency describes it as an indispensable part of the estate and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
The perimeter of the estate is formed by outward-facing buildings linked by earthen walls, and this storehouse anchors the enclosure at its northwest corner.
Visiting the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse
The Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse is part of a private home, and the interior is closed.
Standing at a prominent corner, the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse is one of the easier buildings on the estate to pick out from outside. Please view it from the public road and do not enter the property.
Q&A
- What is the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse?
- A late Edo-period single-storey earthen-walled storehouse of 21 square meters standing on its own at the northwest corner of the estate.
- When did the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 14 February 2002, as registration number 27-0173, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- What is special about the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse?
- Although small, it has its eaves and gable verges plastered in one continuous surface, a more thorough finish than the inner storehouse.
- How does the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse differ from the inner storehouse?
- The inner storehouse is a tall 2-storey building joined to the house; the outer storehouse is a single-storey building on its own at the corner, with more elaborate plasterwork.
- Can I visit the Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, but its prominent corner position makes it one of the easier buildings to see from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyama Family Residence Outer Storehouse (兒山家住宅外蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1404 Tokikita, Naka-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 27-0173 |
| Year Designated | Registered 14 February 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 21 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 Outer Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002652
- 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
