What Is the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C?
The Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C (旧柿原商店土蔵Ｃ, Kyū Kakihara Shōten Dozō Shī) is a warehouse built in 1930 for a meisen silk wholesaler in Honmachi, Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 21, 2002. It is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a gabled pantiled roof, entered on its long side (Hirairi). At 41 m² it is the largest of the three storehouses at the Former Kakihara Shoten.
It stands southwest of the main house. Storehouses A and B form a row on the west side of the lot; Storehouse C sits to the east of Storehouse B with its ridge turned at a right angle, so the three form a roughly L-shaped group.
The Deepest of the Three
The Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C measures 5 Ken along its length (Ketayuki) by 2.5 ken across (Harima). At about 1.82 m to the ken that is roughly 9.1 m by 4.6 m, which agrees with its registered building area of 41 m². It shares its 5-ken length with Storehouse B but is half a ken deeper, and it is the only one of the three whose depth exceeds 2 ken.
Extra depth means shelves can line both side walls while still leaving an aisle down the middle. For a wholesaler sorting bolts of cloth by type and destination, that half ken would have made a practical difference.
A Storehouse That Kept Its Shelves
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that storage shelving survives inside the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C and rates it as a storehouse in good condition. Exteriors tend to be looked after during repairs, but built-in fittings such as shelves are usually the first things removed when a building changes use. Here they remain as evidence of how the interior worked in the wholesaler's day, which sets this storehouse slightly apart from the other two.
The ground-floor entrance and the windows on both floors carry kannon-biraki double doors, which the agency also describes as carefully made. The storehouse was registered as a model of design and craftsmanship, with registration number 11-0044.
Seeing Storehouse C
The Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C stands at the back of the lot, southwest of the main house, and cannot be seen from the street. During Chichibu Furusatokan's opening hours you can enter the premises and view it from close by. The city's tourism site says the storehouses are used for displaying and selling regional products, but we could not confirm that this storehouse can be entered or that its shelves are on view.
For the exterior, find a spot where Storehouse B and Storehouse C can be seen together, set at right angles to each other. From there you can take in the change of direction between the two and the larger roof that comes with Storehouse C's greater depth. If the building is in use as a shop, ask before taking photographs. Opening hours and directions for the whole complex are on the Former Kakihara Shoten page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C built?
- It was built in 1930 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 21, 2002.
- How big is the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C?
- It is 5 ken by 2.5 ken on plan and 2 storeys high, with a building area of 41 m², the largest of the three storehouses at the Former Kakihara Shoten.
- What is special about the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C?
- Storage shelving survives inside, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as well preserved. Its entrance and windows have carefully made double doors.
- Where on the site is the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C?
- Southwest of the store and main house, standing east of Storehouse B with its ridge at a right angle to it.
- Can I see the shelves inside the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C?
- We could not confirm that the interior is open. It depends on how the storehouse is being used, so ask at Chichibu Furusatokan. The complex is closed on Wednesdays.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C (旧柿原商店土蔵Ｃ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1404-4 Honmachi, Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), Registration No. 11-0044 |
| Year Designated | Registered August 21, 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, gabled roof, pantiled, entrance on the long side; building area 41 m²; 5 ken by 2.5 ken |
| Owner | Chichibu City |
| Public Access | Within the Chichibu Furusatokan premises (closed Wednesdays); interior access depends on current use |
References
- Cultural Properties Database: Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002890
- Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse C (Chichibu City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.chichibu.lg.jp/4257.html
- Chichibu Furusatokan (Chichibu Kanko Navi, Chichibu City, in Japanese)
- https://navi.city.chichibu.lg.jp/p_sightseeingr/842/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
