A Storehouse for a Doctor's Library
The Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse (旧常喜医院東蔵, Kyū Jōki Iin Higashi no Kura) is a plastered storehouse built in 1915 on the estate of a family of country doctors in Dotani, Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2019. It stands northeast of the main house, facing south.
The wooden building has 2 storeys, a tiled roof and a building area of 21 square metres. Its date is known precisely from an ink inscription on the ridge beam. It was not built on this spot: it was moved to its present position in the early Showa period.
According to the Shiga prefectural report, this was a library storehouse for the family's medical books and papers, quite separate from the west storehouse, which held rice and grain.
Why It Matters
The Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, together with the west storehouse, it completes the rear of the estate.
Storehouses are common enough in rural Japan. What makes this one telling is its purpose: a doctor's family kept an entire fireproof building for documents and books, and fitted out its interior specifically to protect them.
What to Look For
The building is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a Kirizuma-zukuri roof in Sangawara-buki tiles, its ridge running east to west. The door is on the long side, in the Hirairi manner, and sheltered by a small tiled lean-to, or Geya. The walls are white Shikkui plaster above a drip ledge, with vertical boarding below.
The decoration is what catches the eye. The Joki family crest is painted on both gable ends, and above the upper-floor window there is a dragon worked in Kote-e, relief modelled in plaster with a trowel. The prefectural report singles the dragon out as especially fine.
Inside, each floor is a single room. Over the earthen walls, boards have been dropped into grooves between the posts; the prefectural report explains that they were there to moderate temperature and humidity and to keep out dust. It is a lining designed around paper.
Visiting
As of September 2026 the Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse is not regularly open to the public. To arrange a visit, contact the owner in advance through the Maibara City Board of Education, Lifelong Learning Division (cultural property conservation section), telephone 0749-53-5154.
If you do visit, look first for the family crests on the gables and the plaster dragon above the upper window. The west storehouse, finished in the same way, stands nearby, and seeing the two together shows how deliberately the back of the estate was composed. Ask about photography at the time of your visit.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shiga
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse built?
- An ink inscription on the ridge beam dates it to 1915. It was moved to its present position in the early Showa period.
- What was the Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse used for?
- It was a library storehouse for medical books and papers. Boards lining the inner walls helped regulate temperature and humidity and kept out dust.
- Where is the plaster dragon on the Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse?
- The kote-e dragon is above the upper-floor window. The Joki family crest is painted on both gable ends.
- How does the Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse differ from the west storehouse?
- The east storehouse held medical books and is a single room on each floor; the west storehouse held rice and grain and is divided by a sliding door. Both share the same plaster and board finish.
- Can visitors go inside the Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse?
- As of September 2026 it is not regularly open. Contact the Maibara City Board of Education, Lifelong Learning Division, on 0749-53-5154 in advance to ask about visiting.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 212 Kitakoji, Dotani, Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/12/5 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 21 square metres |
| Owner | Maibara City |
| Public Access | Not regularly open to the public; enquire with the Maibara City Board of Education (checked 2026/9) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013130
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Joki Clinic East Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/443516
- Shiga Prefectural Board of Education, report on buildings recommended for registration (August 5, 2019, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.shiga.lg.jp/file/attachment/5148198.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.26
