Naruko Family Residence Storehouse No. 2

A Gabled Storehouse in the Northeast Corner

The Naruko Family Residence Storehouse No. 2 (成子家住宅土蔵二, Naruko-ke Jūtaku Dozō Ni) in Ozaki, Hannan City, Osaka Prefecture, is a Taisho-era (1912–1926) earthen-walled storehouse at the home of the Naniwa Shuzo sake brewers, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 12 October 2001. It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Hongawarabuki tiles and a building area of 68 square metres.

It measures 6 bays by 3 and a half, and stands in the northeast corner of the site with its ridge in line with the guest annex. It is a size up from Storehouse No. 1, which faces the main house across the courtyard, and like it belongs to the domestic side of the estate.

Just beyond it, Sake Brewhouse No. 1 stands with its ridge at right angles. Storehouse No. 2 sits right on the seam between the family's living quarters and the brewing yard.

Two Finishes on One Wall Base

What the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes about the Naruko Family Residence Storehouse No. 2 is the treatment of the lower wall.

Along the sides, the base is finished as on Storehouse No. 1: plasterwork shaped to imitate overlapping clapboards. Real boards at ground level rot and split; plaster modelled to look like them lasts far longer.

The gable front, where the double doors open, is handled differently. The doorway is framed with a moulded surround, and the wall beside it is set with Namako-kabe, flat tiles fixed to the wall with their joints raised in rounded white plaster ribs, so that a crisp lattice stands out. The agency calls the result a distinctive exterior.

Plain on the sides, dressed on the front: the storehouse spends its effort where it will be seen. Like the other nine structures, it was registered on the same day for its contribution to the historic landscape.

What to Look For

Go to the gable front first. With light coming from the side, the door surround and the plaster ribs of the namako-kabe stand out in relief.

Then compare the side walls and their mock-clapboard base. Cutting those steps so they pass for timber is skilled plastering. The same finish appears on Storehouse No. 1 by the courtyard, so the two storehouses share a matching treatment.

The gabled roof is laid in round-and-flat tiles, the ribs of cover tiles running straight from ridge to eave. Walking the site, you can feel how its ridge lines up with the annex.

Seeing the Storehouse

The Naruko Family Residence Storehouse No. 2 is deep inside the compound and cannot be seen from the street. Getting close means joining Naniwa Shuzo's paid, reservation-only brewery tour, and published information does not say whether the route passes this storehouse, so ask when you book.

The interior is used for storage and no published source mentions it being shown. Ask your guide what you may photograph. Directions and booking details are on the Naruko Family Residence page.