Nakayama Family Residence Rice Storehouse

What Is the Nakayama Family Residence Rice Storehouse?

The Nakayama Family Residence Rice Storehouse (中山家住宅米蔵, Nakayama-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is a late Edo-period storehouse standing north of the north two-story storehouse on the Nakayama estate in Bessho, Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 2, 2004.

It is a single-story dozo-zukuri storehouse of 2 and a half bays by 2, with a building area of 22 square meters, the second in the line of storehouses running north from the main house, with the pottery storehouse beyond it.

Built to Keep Rice Dry

The Nakayama Family Residence Rice Storehouse shows its purpose in its structure. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the sill rests on short posts rather than directly on a foundation, lifting the floor so that air can move beneath it: essential for keeping stored rice from damp.

For a family of village headmen responsible for collecting the village's rice tax, the rice store was probably one of the most important buildings on the estate.

Details Worth Knowing

The walls were never given their final coat of white shikkui. They stop at the intermediate layer of clay plaster, so this storehouse shows an earthen color among its white-walled neighbors.

A door at the south end of the east side has a small sheet-metal canopy, and a window opens at the north end of the west side. The gabled roof is set over the body as a separate covering, with posts on beams carrying the ridge and purlins.

Can You See the Rice Storehouse?

The Nakayama Family Residence Rice Storehouse stands in the middle of the storehouse row inside the estate and cannot be seen from outside. The residence is a private home and is closed to visitors; the Nakayama Family Residence page explains what can be seen from the street.