A gable-entered storehouse showing its wall to the street
The Himurean East Storehouse is a storehouse of around 1921 at the southern end of a townhouse plot in Nishimotocho, Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in December 1998.
Two storeys of Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled construction, tiled in Sangawara-buki, covering 36 square metres, with the entrance on the gable side in the Tsumairi manner. It was built to hold household goods and tools, and together with the west storehouse beside it closes off the southern edge of the property.
A wall treated as part of the street
What makes this building worth attention is that storage was not its only job. From the road along the eastern edge of the plot you see the long wall of the Himurean East Storehouse, and that wall was finished to match the reception wing and the corridor attached to its south. One face of a storehouse was made to serve as a piece of streetscape.
The national database records the Himurean East Storehouse as one of the principal elements of the household layout. The registration number is 25-0101, and the criterion applied was contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
What to look at
Walk south along the eastern road and follow three surfaces in turn: the gable of the reception wing, the corridor wall, then the flank of the Himurean East Storehouse. They run on without a break, and the effect is less of a single house than of a wall belonging to the street.
The west storehouse is entered on its long side, in the Hirairi manner, while the Himurean East Storehouse is entered on the gable. Two storehouses side by side, facing different ways, because each answers something different.
Visiting
The interior of the Himurean East Storehouse is closed. It is a storage building and no opening is planned.
The exterior is visible from the road along the eastern side of the plot. The lane is narrow and in daily use, so watch for cars and bicycles, and keep photography to the street view. Directions to the property are set out on the Himurean page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shiga
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Himurean East Storehouse
- [ Hikone Castle & Lake Biwa Cruise Experiences ]
Q&A
- Can you go inside the Himurean East Storehouse?
- No. It is a private storage building with no public opening. Only the exterior, seen from the eastern road, is accessible to visitors.
- Where can you see the Himurean East Storehouse from?
- From the road along the eastern edge of the property, where its long wall continues the line of the reception wing and the corridor.
- What is the difference between the Himurean East Storehouse and the west storehouse?
- Orientation, mainly. The east storehouse is entered on its gable side and the west storehouse on its long side. Their floor areas differ too, at 36 square metres and 46 square metres.
- How old is the Himurean East Storehouse?
- It dates to around 1921, the same phase as the other buildings here apart from the main house.
- Is the Himurean East Storehouse an Important Cultural Property?
- No. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, entered in December 1998 under registration number 25-0101.
Basic Information
| Name | Himurean East Storehouse (日牟禮庵東土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 61 Nishimotocho, Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/12/11 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen-walled construction, tiled roof, floor area 36 square metres |
| Owner | Private; no owner name recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Closed to the public; the long wall is visible from the road to the east |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Himurean East Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000978
- National Cultural Properties Database, Himurean Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000973
- Cultural Heritage Online, Himurean Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180883
- Omihachiman City, Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.omihachiman.lg.jp/kanko/rekishi/1/index.html
Last verified: 2026.09.17
