The Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse
The Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse (大谷家住宅本蔵, Ōtani-ke Jūtaku Hongura) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Inaricho, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, built in the late Meiji period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
It stands west of the Main House's north wing. Measuring 7 by 3 bays with its ridge running north to south, it has a gabled roof of pantiles and a building area of 69 square metres. The Tomae doorway on the east side doubles as the corridor link to the Main House.
Why the Main Storehouse Was Registered
The Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse is the only one of the nine registered buildings that dates back to the Meiji period. When the new Main House went up in 1931, the storehouse appears to have been kept and tied into the new plan by a corridor.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises its solid construction and the careful finish of its Shikkui plaster. It was registered as a building that sets a standard for design.
What to Look For
The ground floor is divided into two rooms; upstairs is a 12-mat kura-zashiki, a tatami room inside the storehouse. The official description calls that room plain, which makes a clear contrast with the stained glass and carved transoms of the Main House.
Walk straight down the corridor from the Main House and the storehouse door is at the end. The 2014 newsletter profile mentions a fire hose mounted at that entrance, a reminder of how seriously families guarded the contents of their storehouses against fire.
An older storehouse meeting an early Showa sukiya house through a single corridor: that junction shows the estate was assembled in stages rather than all at once.
Visiting the Main Storehouse
The Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse sits inside the grounds, toward the northwest of the Main House, and is hard to see from the street. The interior is not open.
Visitors are limited to viewing the Middle Gate and the Western-Style House from the old Nakasendo.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse
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Q&A
- How old is the Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse?
- It dates from the late Meiji period, making it the oldest of the nine registered buildings and older than the 1931 Main House.
- What is on the upper floor of the Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse?
- A plain 12-mat tatami room known as a kura-zashiki. The ground floor is split into two rooms.
- Can visitors see the Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse?
- Not really. It stands inside the private grounds, which are closed, and is difficult to see from the street.
- How big is the Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse?
- It is a two-story building of 7 by 3 bays with a building area of 69 square metres.
- How is the Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse connected to the Main House?
- Its east-side doorway serves as a corridor that runs straight into the north wing of the Main House.
Basic Information
| Name | Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-3-39 Inaricho, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/2/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 69 square metres, 7 by 3 bays |
| Owner | Otani Shoji Limited Partnership |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the grounds, hard to see from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003836
- Cultural Heritage Online: Otani Family Residence Main Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180056
- Fukaya City: Nationally Designated and Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukaya.saitama.jp/rekishi_bunkazai/shinobunkazai/1391665872242.html
- Smile Tsushin Vol. 56 (July 2014): #33 Fukaya, the Otani House (Japanese)
- https://www.sahn.jp/saitamanosumai/33.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
