The Household's Rice Store
The Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse (旧常喜医院西蔵, Kyū Jōki Iin Nishi no Kura) is a plastered storehouse from the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912) on the estate of a family of country doctors in Dotani, Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2019. It stands north of the main house, with its door facing east.
The wooden building has 2 storeys, a tiled roof and a building area of 35 square metres. Family documents place its construction in the late Meiji period, and the national database expresses that as a span of years rather than a single date.
The Shiga prefectural report records that it held rice and other grains. Where the east storehouse served the medical practice, this one served the household.
Why It Matters
The Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as forming the view along the north side of the estate.
The prefectural report treats the two storehouses as a pair that defines the layout of a rural doctor's household. This one is a reminder that the Joki family was also a landed village family, with grain of its own to store.
What to Look For
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a Kirizuma-zukuri roof in Sangawara-buki tiles, its ridge running east to west, and a small lean-to, or Geya, sheltering the doorway. The walls match those of the east storehouse: white Shikkui plaster above a drip ledge, vertical boarding below.
Although the ridge runs east to west, the door opens in the east gable end. Set beside the east storehouse, whose door is on its long side, the pair look alike but are entered quite differently.
The interior is where the Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse departs from its neighbour. On both floors a sliding door is set 1 Ken in from the west wall, dividing the space in two, whereas the east storehouse is a single room on each level.
At 35 square metres it is also noticeably larger than the east storehouse, which covers 21 square metres.
Visiting
As of September 2026 the Former Joki Clinic West 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 visit, note the east-facing door and the line of the drip ledge where plaster gives way to boarding. Ask about photography at the time of your visit.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse built?
- Family documents date it to the late Meiji period, given in the national database as 1898 to 1912.
- What was kept in the Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse?
- Rice and other grains. The east storehouse, by contrast, held medical books and papers.
- What is the interior of the Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse like?
- On both floors a sliding door set 1 ken from the west wall divides the space into two rooms.
- Where does the Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse stand on the estate?
- It stands north of the main house with its door facing east. Together with the east storehouse to the northeast, it forms the rear of the estate.
- Can visitors go inside the Former Joki Clinic West 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 West 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 35 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 West Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013131
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Joki Clinic West Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/380377
- 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
