The Storehouse at the Northwest Corner
At the northwest corner of the former Tanaka Family Residence, joined to the west side of the tea room, stands the north storehouse (kita-dozō). It was raised around 1919, in the Taishō era, when the Ōmi merchant Tanaka family rebuilt the compound around the older south storehouse that already stood on the site. Placed at the edge of the plot where the property meets the street, it does as much work outside as in: it helps shape the townscape of the old post town of Echigawa.
The Tanaka family traded as Tagen in hemp cloth and mosquito nets, a house that rose from peddling on the roads of Ōmi to premises in Kyoto and Tokyo. The north storehouse is a two-storey dozō, plaster over a timber frame, about 6.1 metres by 4.4 metres, roofed in a gabled form clad in pantile, with a footprint near 27 square metres, the most compact of the five registered buildings.
Reading the Wall
The storehouse rewards a close look at how it was built. Its outer walls are finished in white plaster, and below the water table (mizukiri) at the base the surface changes to vertical boarding (tate-ita-bari), a hard-wearing skirt that protects the lower wall from splashing rain. The roof is built in the separate-roof manner (oki-yane), a light tiled roof set over the true earthen roof beneath so that the two do not touch, a construction that guards the fire-resistant core from the weather.
Along the plaster band at the eaves (hachimaki) runs a distinctive notched detail (kakemayu), a small but deliberate flourish that marks the hand of the plasterer. These are the working refinements of the storehouse builder's trade, chosen for durability first and appearance second, though the two are hard to separate here.
The building was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion for structures contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. Standing at the western and northern edge of the compound, it forms part of the historic streetscape rather than being valued as a set-piece of design, and its worth is read at the scale of the street.
The Storehouse in the Streetscape
The buildings of the compound stand in a near-straight line from the road: north storehouse, main house, tea room, corridor and great hall, with the garden wrapping around them. As the structure closest to the corner, the north storehouse presents its plastered wall to the passer-by and helps hold the older grain of Echigawa, a stage on the Nakasendō where rows of inns once lined the way.
The residence now runs as Ōmi Shōnintei, a reservation-only restaurant serving Lake Biwa freshwater fish and seasonal dishes, in business since 1994. Because the north storehouse works hardest as part of the street, it can be appreciated from outside as well as within: walk the old highway past the compound and read the plaster band, the notched detail at the eaves, and the boarded skirt at the base.
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Q&A
- What is special about the north storehouse?
- Its role in the streetscape and its storehouse detailing: white plaster walls, a boarded lower skirt, a separate tiled roof over the earthen core, and a notched band at the eaves.
- What is a separate roof (oki-yane)?
- A light tiled roof set above the true earthen roof of a storehouse without touching it, protecting the fire-resistant core from rain and weather.
- How does it relate to the other buildings?
- It stands at the northwest corner, joined to the tea room, and is the compact end of the row of five structures that line up from the street toward the great hall.
- When was it built?
- Around 1919, in the Taishō era, as part of the rebuilding of the compound. The neighbouring south storehouse is older, dating to 1892.
- Can I see it from the street?
- Yes. Its exterior faces the old Nakasendō, so the plaster walls and eaves detail can be read from the street. Interior access is as a guest of the restaurant, by reservation.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Tanaka Family Residence (Ōmi Shōnintei), North Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 46-1 Nakajuku, Aishō, Echi District, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), national register |
| Registered | 23 October 2008 (announced 10 November 2008); 61st round of registration |
| Registration No. | 25-0266 |
| Date of construction | circa 1919 (Taishō 8) |
| Structure | Two-storey plaster storehouse (dozō); gabled tiled roof in the separate-roof manner; approx. 6.1 × 4.4 m, floor area approx. 27 m² |
| Registration criterion | A structure contributing to the historic landscape of the nation |
| Present use | Restaurant (Ōmi Shōnintei); reservation only |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database (ACA) — Former Tanaka Family Residence, North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007367
- Ōmi Shōnintei — official site, history
- https://www.ohmishonintei.com/about/history.html
- Town of Aishō — registered cultural properties
- https://www.town.aisho.shiga.jp/soshiki/hakubutsukan/1/1/1035.html
Last verified: 2026.07.05