A White Storehouse by the Gate
The Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse (所沢郷土美術館土蔵) is a 2-storey storehouse of the early Meiji era in Kume, Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 9, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 20 square metres; registration number 11-0088.
The Storehouse North of the Gate
The Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse stands on the east side of the plot, just north of the gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a 2-storey dozo-zukuri building with thick earthen walls under a gabled pantile roof, its ridge running east to west and its entrance in the west gable end (Tsumairi), sheltered by a small pent roof; there are windows on the upper floor.
The walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster, the openings are framed in black plaster, and a thickened Hachimaki band runs along the eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The main house and gate date from the end of the Edo period; the storehouse was added in the early Meiji era.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency sees the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse, together with the gate, as part of the front of the estate, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. Gate and storehouse side by side are what the house presents to the road.
What to Look For
Black-plaster frames stand out against the white walls. Look for the west entrance with its pent roof, the upper windows and the depth of the hachimaki band, and compare the white walls with those of the gate beside it.
At 20 square metres it is a small storehouse, but its 2-storey gable rises just north of the gate and gives the front of the estate some height.
Visiting
The outside of the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse can be seen from the grounds on museum days. No official information on access to the interior was found.
Q&A
- When was the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse?
- On the east side of the plot, just north of the gate.
- What should I look for at the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse?
- The white plaster walls, the black-framed openings and the hachimaki band at the eaves.
- Can I go inside the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse?
- No official information on interior access was found; the outside can be seen from the grounds on museum days.
- When was the Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse registered?
- On February 9, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse (所沢郷土美術館土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1447-1 Kume, Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/02/09 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, 20 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Outside visible from the grounds on museum days (no interior access information) |
References
- Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004525
- Tokorozawa Local Art Museum Main House, Nagayamon Gate and Storehouse (Tokorozawa City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.tokorozawa.saitama.jp/iitokoro/enjoy/bunkakyoyo/bunkazai/kunitourokubunkazai/kyodobijyutukan.html
Last verified: 2026.10.28
