What Is the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A?
The Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A (旧柿原商店土蔵Ａ, Kyū Kakihara Shōten Dozō Ē) 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 thick earthen walls, a gabled pantiled roof and its entrance on the long side (Hirairi), and covers a building area of 23 m².
Storehouse A stands behind the main house on the west side of the lot. Of the three storehouses at the Former Kakihara Shoten, it is the smallest.
The Dimensions of a Small Storehouse
The Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A measures 3.5 Ken along its length (Ketayuki) and 2 ken across (Harima). Taking a ken as roughly 1.82 m gives about 6.4 m by 3.6 m, which squares with the registered building area of 23 m². Storehouse B beside it runs to 5 ken, so standing the two side by side makes the shortness of Storehouse A obvious.
Small as it is, it has two floors, which roughly doubles its usable space. A wholesaler's storehouse existed to keep bolts of cloth dry and safe from fire, and on a tight town lot, building upward was the sensible choice.
Plain Eaves, Careful Detailing Below
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the eaves of the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A as plain, finished with nothing more than a Hachimaki. That is the thick band of plaster wrapped under the eaves of an earthen storehouse; many owners had it built up in layered moldings for show, but not here.
The effort went lower down instead. The base of the walls is clad in sasarako shitamiita, horizontal boards held by thin notched vertical battens, which protect the earthen wall from rain and splashback. The foundation is laid with rounded cobbles.
One feature cannot be seen from outside: the roof is carried on a Truss, a Western framing system built up from triangles. A traditional Japanese storehouse would normally support its roof on beams and short posts, so a truss in a 1930 storehouse stands out, and it helps explain the registration as a model of design and craftsmanship. The registration number is 11-0042.
Seeing Storehouse A
The Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A sits behind the main house and cannot be seen from the street. To get close, you enter the premises during Chichibu Furusatokan's opening hours. The city's tourism site says the storehouses are used for displaying and selling regional products, but which storehouse holds which business, and if you can step inside, may change over time.
From outside, start with the lower half of the walls, where the battens of the weatherboarding line up at regular intervals above the cobbled footing. The truss is only visible from the upper floor, and we could not confirm that it is open to visitors. Opening hours and directions for the whole complex are on the Former Kakihara Shoten page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A 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 A?
- It is 3.5 ken by 2 ken on plan and 2 storeys high, with a building area of 23 m². It is the smallest of the three storehouses at the Former Kakihara Shoten.
- What is distinctive about the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A?
- Its eaves are plainly finished with only a plaster band, but the lower walls, the cobbled foundation and a trussed roof frame are all carefully made.
- Where on the site is the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A?
- Behind the store and main house, on the west side of the lot, standing alongside Storehouse B.
- Can visitors see the Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A?
- You can see the exterior up close by entering the premises while Chichibu Furusatokan is open. Interior access depends on how the storehouse is being used, so check on site.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A (旧柿原商店土蔵Ａ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1404-4 Honmachi, Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), Registration No. 11-0042 |
| Year Designated | Registered August 21, 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, gabled roof, pantiled, entrance on the long side; building area 23 m²; 3.5 ken by 2 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 A (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002888
- Former Kakihara Shoten Storehouse A (Chichibu City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.chichibu.lg.jp/4255.html
- Chichibu Furusatokan (Chichibu Kanko Navi, Chichibu City, in Japanese)
- https://navi.city.chichibu.lg.jp/p_sightseeingr/842/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
