Shojukan North Storehouse
Shojukan North Storehouse, standing west of the main house beyond the mizuya in Tatsutachō, Gokashō, Higashiōmi City, Shiga Prefecture, dates from 1800 and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 February 2021. Built in Dozo-zukuri over two floors and roofed in tile, it occupies 24 square metres.
It is the oldest of the thirteen buildings on the estate and, among the storehouses, the smallest. The plan is narrow, a little over one and a half bays along the ridge by two across, under a Kirizuma-zukuri roof running north to south in Sangawara-buki pantiles.
A Storehouse That Was Cut Down
Shojukan North Storehouse was not always this size. The register records that a late Edo campaign shortened the northern end and reduced the building. The odd dimension, a little over one and a half bays, is the result. Where the bay count refuses to come out even, later work has usually happened.
Shortening a storehouse is an unusual decision, since rebuilding is often quicker. Doing it anyway suggests either that the 1800 structure was worth keeping in service, or that the site no longer allowed the building to extend north. With the main house of 1814 to the east and the mizuya of the early Meiji era between them, the ground around Shojukan North Storehouse filled in steadily over time.
The walls carry Shikkui lime plaster, and the plaster is taken up under the eaves as well, closing off the rafter zone so that sparks cannot lodge there. A sheltered kuramae space sits on the south side, with plaster-faced clay doors at the opening. Standing for more than two centuries, this is the building that holds the oldest time on the estate.
What to Look For
Get under the eaves and look up. Instead of individual rafters showing, the whole soffit is plastered into one continuous surface that runs out to the edge.
Study the north wall. That is the cut side, raised new during the repair, and its plaster does not always match the tone of the south and east faces.
Then step out of the mizuya and look up at it. Shojukan North Storehouse is invisible from the main house; it appears only once you have crossed the kitchen floor. Its 24 square metres register as small mainly when the new storehouse and the rice storehouse stand nearby for comparison.
Visiting
Shojukan North Storehouse lies west of the main house and comes into view after passing through the earth floor of the mizuya. Going inside depends on the arrangements for the day; the Merchant Museum, Kyōrinbō Betsuin posts its spring and autumn dates, all weekends and public holidays, on the temple website.
Cameras are welcome. Because the plan is narrow, so a single shot along the long side gives little sense of scale; include the gable end and the proportion reads. The Shojukan page covers how to get there and what admission costs.
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Q&A
- When was Shojukan North Storehouse built?
- In 1800, which makes it the oldest of the thirteen registered buildings on the estate.
- Why is Shojukan North Storehouse so small?
- Because a late Edo campaign cut back its northern end and reduced the building. The uneven span, a little over one and a half bays, is the trace of that work.
- What is the plastered soffit on Shojukan North Storehouse for?
- Taking the lime plaster up under the eaves seals the rafter zone against flying sparks. It is a fire precaution rather than a finish.
- Where can Shojukan North Storehouse be seen from?
- Not from the main house. It stands beyond the mizuya on the west side, and you reach it through that building's earth floor.
- How large is Shojukan North Storehouse?
- The building area is 24 square metres, a little over one and a half bays by two, the smallest of the five storehouses.
Basic Information
| Name | Shojukan North Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 396-1 Motoyashiki, Tatsutacho, Gokasho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 4 February 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 24 square metres |
| Owner | Private (not disclosed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Open in limited spring and autumn seasons (Merchant Museum, Kyorinbo Betsuin) |
References
- National Designated Cultural Properties Database: Shojukan North Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013576
- Merchant Museum, Kyorinbo Betsuin (official temple website)
- https://kyourinbo.jimdofree.com/home/kyorinbo-betsuin-merchant-museum/
Last verified: 2026.09.13
