Nakano Family Residence Storehouse

A Meiji Storehouse with Black-Plaster Crests

The Nakano Family Residence Storehouse (中野家住宅土蔵) is a storehouse of the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882) in Chuo, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a two-storey earth-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 23 square metres; registration number 25-0313.

A Storehouse Beyond the Courtyard

The Nakano Family Residence Storehouse is a two-storey earth-walled storehouse standing behind the main house across an inner courtyard (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It measures 4.8 metres by 3.9 metres and has a gabled roof of traditional round-and-flat tiles.

The entrance on the west front is sheltered by a small earthen-roofed canopy (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The walls are finished in white plaster, with vertical boards fixed along the lower part to protect them.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency notes the craftsmanship of the Nakano Family Residence Storehouse: a mokko, a four-lobed crest, is worked in black plaster on the doors of its openings, and the brackets under the window hoods are carved with mouldings. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.

What to Look For

Look for the mokko crests in black plaster on the doors and the moulded brackets under the window hoods (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The black pattern stands out against the white plaster and shows when the doors are shut. The Nakano Family Residence Storehouse stands at the back of the lot, and whether it can be seen from the street has not been confirmed.

Visiting

The Nakano Family Residence Storehouse stands within a private home, and no official information on public access was found. No official guidance on photography was found.