Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed
The Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed (朝日屋原薬局物置, Asahiya Hara Yakkyoku Monooki) is a 1912 storage building facing south near the middle of the long, narrow Asahiya Hara Pharmacy estate, just east of the storehouse, in Honcho 2-chome, Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 1, 2003.
It is built in the Shinkabe manner, with its posts left exposed in the wall face, under an east-west gabled roof of sheet metal, entered from the long side in the Hirairi manner. It is now single-story but was originally 2 stories. At 50 square meters it covers more ground than the storehouse next door, which has 35 square meters.
Why It Was Registered
The Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it indispensable for understanding how a merchant's estate was put together.
It is not a showpiece like the shopfront or the Western-style room. But knowing where and at what size the storage buildings stood helps you picture how goods and household things moved behind the shop. Asahiya Hara Pharmacy matters because the whole sequence, front shop to back annex, survives intact.
What to Look For: Tall Posts for a Tall Interior
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the builders used long posts to give the interior plenty of height, as suits a storage building. Even after its conversion from 2 stories to one, those posts presumably still set the building's tall profile. When and why it lost its upper floor cannot be confirmed from published sources.
Because the walls are shinkabe, the posts show as vertical lines on the surface. Built the same year as the storehouse, which hides its frame behind white clay, the shed is a completely different kind of building inside and out.
Visiting the Storage Shed
The Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed is privately owned and not open to the public. It stands in the middle of the plot east of the storehouse and is barely visible from the street. You cannot enter the grounds.
What you can see from outside is mainly the main house and the gate and wall. Directions are on the Asahiya Hara Pharmacy page.
Q&A
- When was the Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed built and registered?
- The Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed was built in 1912 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 1, 2003.
- What kind of building is the Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed?
- A south-facing storage building east of the storehouse, with exposed posts, an east-west gabled sheet-metal roof and a building area of 50 square meters. It is single-story now but was originally 2 stories.
- Why was the Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed registered?
- Because it is considered essential for understanding the layout of a merchant's estate, and so contributes to the historic landscape.
- What is inside the Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed like?
- Long posts give it a tall interior, as suits a building made for storage.
- Can visitors see the Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed?
- No. It is private, closed to the public and stands deep in the lot where it is hard to see from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Asahiya Hara Pharmacy Storage Shed |
|---|---|
| Location | 1618 Honcho 2-chome, Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/7/1 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single-story (originally 2 stories), sheet-metal roof; building area 50 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Closed; stands deep within the lot and is barely visible from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Storage Shed (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003382
- Cultural Heritage Online: Storage Shed (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/168692
- Shiki City: Asahiya Hara Pharmacy, Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Japanese)
- https://www.city.shiki.lg.jp/site/hisyo/2644.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
