What Is the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse?
The Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse (中山家住宅二階蔵, Nakayama-ke Jūtaku Nikaigura) is a late Edo-period tool storehouse on the south front of the Nakayama estate in Bessho, Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 2, 2004.
It stands at the southern edge of the estate, joined to the west side of the nagayamon gate. It is a two-story dozo-zukuri fireproof storehouse, 3 bays by 2, with a building area of 32 square meters. On the north side a canopy continuing from the gate roof shelters a working area in front of the doors.
The White Wall on the Front of the Estate
Together with the gate, the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse makes up the estate's south face. The photograph Matsubara City labels as the front of the property shows exactly that pairing: the white storehouse wall on the left and the gate on the right.
By setting a storehouse beside the gate and running the canopy of one into the other, the builders made gate and storehouse read from the road as a single frontage. Of all the estate's buildings, this is the one that most directly shapes the streetscape the registration criterion refers to.
Details Worth Knowing
The walls are white shikkui plaster above a skirt of vertical boards, and two windows open in the upper story of the south face.
The roof is a separate, gabled covering of hongawarabuki tiles set on top of the plastered body, a detached roof known as okiyane. The gap between the two keeps heat and fire off the storehouse proper. Inside, sloping rafters rise from a heavy ridge beam to carry the roof.
Seeing the Two-Story Storehouse from the Road
The grounds are closed, but because the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse stands at the southern edge, its white wall and two upper windows can be seen from the road to the south. Facing the gate, it is on your left.
Keep photographs to the exterior from the street and avoid pointing cameras through the gate. The working area on the north side is inside the grounds and not visible. Directions are on the Nakayama Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can I see the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse from outside?
- Yes. It stands at the south edge of the estate, left of the gate as you face it, and its white wall and upper windows are visible from the road. The grounds themselves are closed.
- What was stored in the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse for tools and equipment.
- How big is the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse?
- It is a two-story storehouse of 3 bays by 2, with a building area of 32 square meters.
- When was the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse registered?
- It dates from the late Edo period and was registered on March 2, 2004, along with thirteen other structures of the estate.
- What is the detached roof on the Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse?
- A roof set over the plastered body as a separate covering, leaving a gap that keeps heat and fire off the storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 6-623 Bessho, Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/3/2 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 32 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (occupied private residence; south side visible from the road) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Nakayama Family Residence Two-Story Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004002
- Matsubara City: Nakayama Family Residence, Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Japanese)
- https://www.city.matsubara.lg.jp/docs/page3510.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
