The Rice Store and the Library
On the eastern side of the gate stands the No. 2 storehouse. Its interior is divided almost evenly: a rice store to the east and a book store (shoko) to the west, each with its own doorway on the north side. Built in the Taishō period, between 1912 and 1925, it belongs with its neighbours to a phase of rebuilding the compound's front early in the twentieth century.
A Fire-Resistant Store
This is a true dozō, a fire-resistant storehouse with thick mud-plastered walls, registered in 2005 for its part in the frontage. The gabled roof is tiled in two grades, formal pantile to the south and lighter tile to the north. Along the lower south wall runs vertical boarding, with windows set above.
Set beside the gate, the storehouse squares up the front of the residence and gives the eastern approach its solid, shuttered line.
Why a Family Kept a Library
The book store is the telling half. A household that set aside a plastered, fire-proof room for documents was a household that kept records, and the Kotani did. The family that later founded this museum had generations of collecting behind it.
The founder, Kotani Michiakira (1909–1991), a local historian, drew on exactly that habit of keeping when he opened the collection to the public in 1971. The storehouse that once guarded rice and paper now stands within the museum those papers helped bring into being.
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Q&A
- What is inside the No. 2 storehouse?
- The interior is divided into a rice store on the east and a book store on the west, each entered from the north side.
- What does dozō mean?
- A dozō is a fire-resistant storehouse built with thick walls of mud plaster over a timber frame, a common form for keeping valuables, grain and documents safe from fire.
- How does the building relate to the museum's founding?
- Its western half was a library. The Kotani family's long habit of keeping records and objects is what the historian Kotani Michiakira drew on when he opened the museum in 1971.
- When was it built?
- During the Taishō period, between 1912 and 1925. It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
Basic Information
| Name | Kotanijō Local History Museum No. 2 Storehouse (小谷城郷土館二番蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1602-1 Toyoda, Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registered 12 July 2005; 46th registration) |
| Registration ground | Contribution to the historic landscape |
| Count and structure | 1 building; Dozō (mud-walled) construction, single storey; tile roof; approx. 54 m² |
| Period | Taishō period (1912–1925) |
| Owner | Kotanijō Local History Museum (general incorporated foundation) |
| Access | Approx. 20-minute walk from Izumigaoka Station (Semboku Rapid Railway), or a 5-minute walk from the Toyoda-minami bus stop (Nankai Bus) |
| Opening | Museum open 10:00–16:00; closed Mondays (or the following day if a public holiday), with seasonal closures. Admission 200 yen (university age and above) / 100 yen (school-age children). Photography not permitted indoors. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Kotanijō Local History Museum No. 2 Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004782
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kotanijō Local History Museum No. 2 Storehouse
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/170092
- Sakai City — Kotanijō Local History Museum (Registered Cultural Properties)
- https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/kanko/rekishi/bunkazai/bunkazai/torokuseido/kotanijo.html
Last verified: 2026.07.09