The Smaller Storehouse by the Kitchen
The Omi Hino Merchant Museum (Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence) East Storehouse (近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）東蔵) is an earthen-walled storehouse belonging to the Hino home of the merchant Yamanaka Hyoemon in Okubo, Hino, Shiga Prefecture; it was built around 1936 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 16 January 1998.
The national register describes a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a tiled roof and a footprint of 32 square metres. It stands north of the kamaya, the kitchen wing attached to the west side of the main house, with its ridge running east to west and its entrance on the long side in the Hirairi manner. The larger West Storehouse stands next to it on the west.
Why a Plain Storehouse Counts
The East Storehouse of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs is candid about it, describing a relatively small building of simplified form.
It earns its place because it is one of the pieces that make up the compound. Its position right behind the kitchen wing hints at a store for things in everyday use, although no primary source records what it held. The Agency presents it as one of the buildings that convey how Hino merchant families actually lived.
A grand house and a well-finished storehouse do not by themselves make a family seat. Having this humbler building survive on the same plot shows that the home was assembled from structures of very different rank.
How to Look at It
The Omi Hino Merchant Museum East Storehouse makes most sense next to its neighbour. At 32 square metres against 58 square metres for the West Storehouse, it is little more than half the size, and it lacks the mizukiri ledge and hachimaki eaves band that dress the larger building; its walls are plain from top to bottom.
Its position tells a story too. Close to the kitchen and as far as possible from the street, it marks the point where the compound shifts from formality to practicality as you move from the front gate towards the back.
Visiting the East Storehouse
The East Storehouse of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence stands at the back of the museum grounds, north of the kitchen wing. The museum's published information says nothing about opening its interior, so expect to see it from outside, and ask at reception how close you can get and whether you may take photographs. Opening hours, admission and directions are on the Omi Hino Merchant Museum page.
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Q&A
- What is the Omi Hino Merchant Museum East Storehouse?
- A 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a 32-square-metre footprint, standing north of the kitchen wing with its ridge running east to west.
- When was the east storehouse of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence built?
- The national register dates it to around 1936, the same time as the main house.
- Why is the Omi Hino Merchant Museum East Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Although small and simple, it forms part of the merchant compound and was registered on 16 January 1998 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Which is larger, the Omi Hino Merchant Museum East Storehouse or West Storehouse?
- The West Storehouse, at 58 square metres against 32 square metres, and it is also more elaborately finished.
- Can you go inside the Omi Hino Merchant Museum East Storehouse?
- The museum publishes no information about interior access, so plan to view it from outside and ask at reception how close you can get.
Basic Information
| Name | Omi Hino Merchant Museum (Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence) East Storehouse (近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）東蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1011 Okubo, Hino-cho, Gamo-gun, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/1/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 32 square metres |
| Owner | Hino Town |
| Public Access | Within the Omi Hino Merchant Museum grounds; no published information on interior access |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）東蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000439
- Cultural Heritage Online: 近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）東蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191439
Last verified: 2026.09.24
