The second storehouse holding the southern edge
The Himurean West Storehouse is a storehouse of around 1921 standing south of the annex on 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 46 square metres, with the entrance on the long side in the Hirairi manner. Built for household goods and tools, it is a size up from the 36 square metres of the east storehouse alongside.
Built to stop a fire
The national database notes that the Himurean West Storehouse and the east storehouse sit at the southern end of the plot and serve a fire-protection role. Line the boundary with thick-walled storehouses and you have a barrier against fire spreading from next door. A building for storage was also a building for defence.
The registration number is 25-0100, and the criterion applied, contribution to the historic landscape of the country, covers all 7 items here. The Himurean West Storehouse is recorded as one of the principal elements of the household layout.
What to look at
With a storehouse, the value shows in the thickness of the wall. Unlike the timber buildings around it, the Himurean West Storehouse is earthen-walled, so within one plot the wall construction alone belongs to a different family. The roof tiles are the same, which means the buildings match at a distance and separate as you approach.
Orientation is worth noting as well. The Himurean West Storehouse is entered on its long side and the east storehouse on its gable. Two storehouses turned different ways make a more varied southern edge than a matching pair would.
Visiting
The Himurean West Storehouse is closed to the public. It stands at the southern end of the plot, south of the annex, and is hard to see from any public road. Unlike the east storehouse it does not present a wall to the street, so even the exterior is difficult to inspect.
On site, look at the flank of the east storehouse from the eastern road and place the Himurean West Storehouse just beyond it to the west. Directions to the property are set out on the Himurean page.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Himurean West Storehouse?
- No. It is closed to the public, and its position at the southern end of the plot makes it hard to see even from the street.
- What was the Himurean West Storehouse used for?
- Storing household goods and tools. Standing at the southern boundary, it also served to check the spread of fire from neighbouring property.
- Which is larger, the Himurean West Storehouse or the east storehouse?
- The west one. Its floor area is 46 square metres against 36 square metres for the east storehouse.
- How old is the Himurean West Storehouse?
- It dates to around 1921, the same phase as the other buildings here apart from the main house.
- Is the Himurean West Storehouse an Important Cultural Property?
- No. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, entered in December 1998 under registration number 25-0100.
Basic Information
| Name | Himurean West Storehouse (日牟禮庵西土蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 46 square metres |
| Owner | Private; no owner name recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Closed to the public and hard to see from any public road |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Himurean West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000977
- 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
