What Is the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse?
The Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse (加藤家住宅（旧布惣）一之蔵, Katō-ke Jūtaku Kyū Nunosō Ichinokura) is a late Edo period (1830 to 1868) earthen-walled storehouse standing beside the main house on the Nakasendo highway in Takamiya-cho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 March 2013. It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof and a building area of 23 square meters.
At 5.4 by 5.0 meters it is almost square in plan. Of the three storehouses left on the Nunoso property, this is the only one that fronts the street. It was altered in 2009.
A Storehouse Paired With the House
The Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse was registered under number 25-0325 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, standing in line with the main house, it helps shape the streetscape of the post town.
Beside the latticed front of the townhouse, the storehouse presents a plain earthen wall to the road. It was registered less as a building on its own than as half of a pair, the house and its store side by side on the Nakasendo.
Its door is on the south side, facing the shop in the main house rather than the street. Goods could be carried in and out from the shop side, an orientation that fits the working routine of a cloth dealer.
A Floating Roof and Carved Bracket Ends
The Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse has an Okiyane, a roof framed separately and set on top of the plastered earthen body. The arrangement is generally explained as a fire precaution: if the roof burns, it can collapse without taking the sealed store and its contents with it.
The inverted-V sasu struts that carry this roof have carved Kibana, the projecting ends of the timbers. Storehouses are usually plain, and the extra carving here may reflect a building that knew it would be seen from the highway.
Because the storehouse is small, the junction of roof and wall is close to eye level even from the road. The highway runs along the west side, so in the afternoon the light rakes across the eaves and the separation between roof and body is easiest to read.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse
No opening of the interior of the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse could be found on the websites of Hikone City or the Hikone Tourist Association. Since it faces the Nakasendo, the exterior can be seen from the street.
To get the storehouse and the main house in one frame, walk a little north and look south: the First Storehouse sits in the foreground with the house front running on behind it. Please view both from the public road without entering the property.
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Q&A
- Where is the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse?
- On the Nakasendo in Takamiya-cho, Hikone, immediately north of the main house and facing the street.
- When was the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868. It was altered in 2009.
- What is special about the roof of the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse?
- It is a separately framed roof set on the earthen body, and the ends of its struts are carved.
- When did the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 29 March 2013, as registration number 25-0325.
- Can I visit the Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse?
- No interior opening could be confirmed, but the storehouse faces the street and its exterior is visible from the Nakasendo.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse (加藤家住宅（旧布惣）一之蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1121-1 Takamiya-cho (and other lots), Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 25-0325 |
| Year Designated | Registered 29 March 2013 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, 5.4 meters by 5.0 meters, building area 23 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced (exterior visible from the Nakasendo) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009501
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kato Family Residence (Former Nunoso) First Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/206184
Last verified: 2026.09.28
