What Is the Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse?
The Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse (旧一圓家住宅雑蔵及び木蔵, Kyū Ichien-ke Jūtaku Zōgura oyobi Kigura) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse built in the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868, in Ichien, Taga Town, Inukami District, Shiga Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 7, 2014. It measures 7.4 meters by 3.8 meters, with a building area of 28 square meters.
It adjoins the south side of the main house, with its ridge running east to west. The name pairs two kinds of storehouse, but the registration counts a single building. A zōgura holds everyday goods and tools, and a kigura holds timber; here both names are given to one structure. The national description does not say which part served which purpose.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Line up the estate's three storehouses and this one stands apart in its finish. The rice storehouse and the document storehouse are sheathed in white sheet iron, while this building shows its bare Shikkui plaster, carried right up and over the underside of the eaves. Rafters and eave boards are wrapped in plaster so that no timber is left exposed.
The gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof is laid in Sangawara-buki tiles on the Okiyane system, in which a separately framed roof is set on top of the sealed earthen body of the storehouse. The gap between the two keeps summer heat from soaking into the store, and in a fire the roof can burn away while the body is more likely to survive, or so the method is usually explained.
What to Look For
White all the way up
Look up at the Ichien utility and lumber storehouse and the white of the walls continues without a break onto the underside of the eaves. No rafter ends show. Compare it with the two iron-clad storehouses and the difference in surface between plaster and painted metal is plain, even though all three are white.
Two doorways
There are doors in the east gable end and in the south wall. Both are on sides away from the main house, which suggests goods were carried in and out directly from the yard.
A window that lights the floor below
Each floor is a single undivided room. On the upper floor is an inward-opening window, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes as serving to bring light to the ground floor. In a building type with so few openings, that is a considered touch.
Visiting the Utility and Lumber Storehouse
The Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse is part of an estate that operates as a guesthouse, and the official website announces no public openings (checked September 27, 2026). It does not say whether guests can go inside this storehouse, so ask the operators if you stay.
Because it is joined to the south side of the main house, the views are from the south and east. From there the south doorway and the plaster carried up into the eaves come together in one frame. Check with the operators about photography.
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Q&A
- Is the Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse two buildings?
- No. The name joins two storehouse types, but it is registered as a single two-storey dozo-zukuri building.
- When was the Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse built?
- It dates from the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868.
- How is the Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse different from the other storehouses?
- The rice and document storehouses are clad in sheet iron, while this one shows plain plaster carried up under the eaves. Its roof uses the okiyane method.
- What is inside the Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse?
- One open room on each floor, with an inward-opening window upstairs that lights the ground floor. The doors are in the east gable end and the south wall.
- Can I visit the Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse?
- No public openings are announced. The estate is a guesthouse, and whether guests may enter the storehouse should be confirmed with the operators (checked September 27, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse (旧一圓家住宅雑蔵及び木蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 149 Nishikado, Ichien, Taga-cho, Inukami-gun, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 25-0352 |
| Year Designated | Registered October 7, 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 7.4 meters by 3.8 meters, building area 28 square meters |
| Owner | Hikone Landscape Forum, a non-profit organization |
| Public Access | No public openings announced; ask the operators about interior access |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010183
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Ichien Family Residence Utility and Lumber Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/273246
- Cultural Properties of Taga Town (Taga Town Office)
- https://www.town.taga.lg.jp/kanko_bunka_sports/rekishi_bunkazai/1/1430.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
