What Is the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse?
The Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse (旧北村医院（李軒邸）土蔵, Kyū Kitamura Iin Riken-tei Dozō) is a fireproof earthen storehouse built in the late Edo period, between 1751 and 1830, in Tobakamicho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture, and entered on the register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on October 14, 2021. Built in the Dozo-zukuri manner with two storeys and a gabled, pantiled roof, it has a building area of 26 square meters. It stands in the northwest corner of the property on the street and connects to the veranda of the main house.
It is dated to the earliest period of any of the ten registered structures at the Former Kitamura Clinic.
Why It Was Registered
The Storehouse was registered under the criterion of contributing to the country's historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with the standing befitting a doctor's residence, and the Council for Cultural Affairs singles out the carved beam ends under its roof as a sign of that standing.
Its date range overlaps with or precedes the 1827 main house. The Kitamura storehouse was holding the family's possessions before any of the clinic buildings existed, and it stands close to the starting point of the compound's history.
What to Look For
A separate roof on carved beams
The roof is an Okiyane: a separate roof frame set on top of the plastered earthen body, so that if fire took the roof, the store below would survive. The ends of the beams carrying that roof are carved with scrolling foliage patterns known as eyō kurigata. On an otherwise practical building, they are the one place where ornament is on show.
White plaster over a boarded base
The walls are finished in lime plaster (Shikkui), with vertical boarding on the ground floor. On the north side, a ground-floor window is sheltered by a small board-roofed hood that keeps rain off the opening in the earthen wall.
Steel double doors
The front is closed by a pair of steel doors that open outward to each side. Steel is not what one would expect on a late Edo storehouse, so the doors were probably replaced at some later date, though the agency's description does not say when.
Viewing the Storehouse
Because the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse stands in the northwest corner on the street, it is probably the easiest of the ten to see from outside. No public opening had been announced as of September 27, 2026, and the interior cannot be entered. The agency's database shows the west side and the interior seen from the south. If you look from the road, keep to the edge so as not to block traffic.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period, between 1751 and 1830. It belongs to the earliest phase of the ten registered structures at the Former Kitamura Clinic.
- Where is the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse located on the property?
- In the northwest corner, facing the street, where it connects to the veranda of the main house.
- What decorative detail should I look for on the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse?
- The carved beam ends that carry the separate roof. The Council for Cultural Affairs cites this carving as evidence of the standing of a doctor’s residence.
- Why is the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on October 14, 2021, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as a storehouse befitting a doctor’s residence.
- Can visitors see the Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse?
- No public opening had been announced as of September 27, 2026, and the interior cannot be entered. Because it faces the street, part of the exterior may be visible from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 761 Tobakamicho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2021 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri earthen construction, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 26 square meters |
| Owner | Not published |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no opening announced; checked September 27, 2026) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Kitamura Clinic (Riken Residence) Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014035
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs recommendation on registered buildings (July 16, 2021, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/93246101_01.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.26
