What the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse Is
The Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse (旧長島家住宅裏蔵, Kyū Nagashima-ke Jūtaku Uragura) is a zashikigura, a storehouse fitted with living-style rooms, built around 1914 at the former headman's estate in Koyatsubayashi, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024. It stands north of the main house at the back of the property, facing south toward the rear of the house.
It is a two-story building of Oya stone under a tiled gable roof, with a building area of 53 square meters. By the dates the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives, it is the earliest of the estate's three stone storehouses, about six years older than the rice and front storehouses. The Taisho-era building program that lined the estate with stone began here.
A zashikigura is more than a store. It includes rooms that can be used much like reception rooms. Where the rice storehouse held grain and the front storehouse now serves as a gallery, the rear storehouse was the one closest in character to the house itself.
Why the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. The official description calls it a storehouse that combines practicality with design and gives order to the back of the estate.
The rice storehouse, gate and nagayabei form the estate's public front; this building holds the back. A heavy stone mass behind the main house frames it from the north and pulls the whole layout together around the house.
The divided upper and lower floors and the storage built in beneath the floor are the practical side. The raised stone base and the lean-to over the entrances are the design side.
What to Look For at the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse
Look first at the base. The Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse sits on a foundation of stonework built up to lift the whole building above the ground. The Agency for Cultural Affairs photographed this raised base from the southeast when it registered the building: a course of masonry, and the Oya stone walls set on top.
The south front has two doorways sheltered by a lean-to roof. Seen from the main house, those eaves and doorways give the storehouse its face.
Inside, the ground floor has two rooms and the upper floor three, with further storage under the floor. Next to the single-room rice and front storehouses, that is a striking number of rooms, presumably subdivided to suit its use as a zashikigura.
Walk around to the northwest as well. The first registration photograph was taken from there, showing a broad, unadorned stone wall on the side nearest the edge of the property.
Visiting the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse
The Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse stands at the back of the Nagashima Memorial Museum grounds and can be seen from outside on opening days. The official guide does not say whether its interior is open, so ask at reception if you would like to see inside.
Pass beside the main house and continue north to reach the south front. Then circle the building: the raised base shows best from the southeast, and the plain rear wall from the northwest.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to around 1914, making it the earliest of the estate's three Oya stone storehouses.
- What does zashikigura mean for the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse?
- It is a storehouse with rooms that could be used like living or reception rooms. The rear storehouse has two rooms on the ground floor, three upstairs and storage beneath the floor.
- When was the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered on March 6, 2024, as contributing to the historic landscape.
- Where is the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse located?
- North of the main house at the back of the estate, facing south.
- What is special about the foundation of the Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse?
- The foundation is raised on built-up stonework, with the Oya stone walls set on top. The Agency for Cultural Affairs photographed this base from the southeast.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1022 Ozakai, Koyatsubayashi, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 6, 2024 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two stories, stone; building area 53 square meters |
| Owner | Nagashima Memorial Foundation |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable on the Nagashima Memorial Museum grounds (admission charged); interior access unconfirmed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Nagashima Family Residence Rear Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014741
- Kumagaya City: Eight structures of the Former Nagashima Family Residence registered (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kumagaya.lg.jp/about/soshiki/kyoiku/kounanbunkazaicenter/oshirase/ta22160120240.html
- Saitama Prefecture: New Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Kumagaya City (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/f2216/news/page/news2023112402.html
- Nagashima Memorial Museum: Hours, admission and access (Japanese)
- https://nagashimakinenkan.com/guide.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
