The Better-Built of Two Storehouses
The Omi Hino Merchant Museum (Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence) West Storehouse (近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）西蔵) 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 58 square metres, the larger of the 2 storehouses that survive. It stands just west of the East Storehouse, the pair lined up north of the kitchen wing of the main house, and is entered on its long side in the Hirairi manner.
What Sets It Apart
The West Storehouse of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs specifically calls it more fully finished than its neighbour, the East Storehouse.
2 details in the walls make the case. Partway up there is a mizukiri, a projecting ledge that throws rainwater clear, with vertical boarding cladding the wall below it. Up under the eaves runs a hachimaki, a thickened band of plaster wrapped around the top of the wall. Both are extra measures to protect an earthen wall from weather and fire, and neither appears on the plainer East Storehouse.
The Agency also notes that there were once more storehouses on the property than these two. The surviving West Storehouse is presented as a reminder of how prosperous the Hino merchants once were.
How to Look at It
The Omi Hino Merchant Museum West Storehouse is best seen side by side with the East Storehouse. At 58 square metres against 32 square metres it is noticeably bigger, but it is the finish of the walls that really distinguishes the pair.
Look at the wall at mid-height and at the top. Along the line of the mizukiri the surface changes, and below it the wall is sheathed in vertical boards. Raise your eyes and you will see the wall swell out under the eaves where the hachimaki runs. Find those 2 features and you have seen exactly why the Agency calls this the more serious building.
Visiting the West Storehouse
The West Storehouse of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence stands at the back of the museum grounds, north-west of the main house. The museum's published information says nothing about opening its interior, so expect to view it from outside, and ask at reception how close you can get and whether photography is allowed. 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 West Storehouse?
- A 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a 58-square-metre footprint, the larger of the 2 surviving storehouses, standing just west of the East Storehouse.
- When was the west 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 West Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It is a well-finished storehouse with a mizukiri ledge and hachimaki eaves band that helps form the merchant compound, and it was registered on 16 January 1998 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- How does the Omi Hino Merchant Museum West Storehouse differ from the East Storehouse?
- It is larger and more fully finished, with a mizukiri ledge, vertical boarding below it and a hachimaki band under the eaves. The East Storehouse is smaller and simpler.
- Can you go inside the Omi Hino Merchant Museum West 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) West Storehouse (近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）西蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 58 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）西蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000440
- Cultural Heritage Online: 近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）西蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/185170
Last verified: 2026.09.24
