A Small Rice Store Built of Stacked Planks
The Tsuchiyama Family Residence (Tsuchiyama-shuku Honjin Site) Rice Storehouse (土山家住宅（土山宿本陣跡）米蔵, Tsuchiyama-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is a single-storey rice store of the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) in the northeast corner of the former honjin in Kitatsuchiyama, Tsuchiyama-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 February 2023.
With a tiled roof and a building area of just 17 square metres, it is the smallest of the four registered buildings on the site. What sets it apart is the way its walls are made: it is a Seirōgura, a store whose walls are built from planks stacked one on top of another.
Why the Structure Matters
The listing criterion is its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse as a store of valuable construction that shapes the northeast part of the property.
Most Japanese storehouses start with a frame of posts and beams, which is then filled and coated with clay. A seirogura does without posts in the walls. Thick boards are laid horizontally and stacked, so the wall is its own structure, like the tiers of a bamboo steamer, the seiro said to give the method its name. Timber walls take up and release moisture, which is why the technique was favoured for grain.
At the Tsuchiyama honjin the stacked-plank wall is plastered over with clay on the outside and then clad in vertical boards. From outside it looks like a plain board-walled shed. Inside the wall, layers of timber and earth are doing the work, and it is that hidden construction the registration recognizes.
What to Look For: The Lean-to and the Single Room
The gable roof is laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles and set Hirairi fashion. The doorway is on the west side, sheltered by a Geya lean-to so rice could be moved in and out in wet weather.
Standing in the northeast corner and facing west, the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse looks across the back of the property at the household storehouse, which sits in the northwest corner facing east. Two storehouses with their doors turned toward each other suggest a working yard between them at the rear of the house.
Inside is one room with a board floor and a single small window on the north side. A photograph of the interior south wall in the national database shows the stacked planks clearly.
Seeing the Rice Storehouse
The Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse is at the back of the lot and cannot be seen from the old Tokaido. Its interior is not advertised as open.
If you book a visit to the honjin site, ask at the time of booking whether the storehouses can be viewed from outside. Booking details and transport are on the page for the Tsuchiyama Family Residence as a whole.
Q&A
- What is a seirogura, as seen at the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- A storehouse whose walls are built from thick planks stacked horizontally rather than from a post frame. Here the plank wall is coated with clay and clad in vertical boards.
- How old is the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It dates from the late Edo period (1830 to 1868), making it, with the household storehouse, the oldest of the four registered buildings.
- How big is the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey building of 17 square metres with one board-floored room inside.
- When was the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- On 27 February 2023, recognized for its unusual construction and its place in the historic landscape of the property.
- Can I visit the Tsuchiyama Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is not visible from the street and its interior is not advertised as open. Ask when booking a honjin visit whether the exterior can be seen.
Basic Information
| Name | Tsuchiyama Family Residence (Tsuchiyama-shuku Honjin Site) Rice Storehouse (土山家住宅（土山宿本陣跡）米蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1628 and others, Aza Harinokihara, Kitatsuchiyama, Tsuchiyama-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2023/2/27 (Reiwa 5) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey wooden building, tiled roof, building area 17 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Interior not open (not visible from the street) |
References
- 土山家住宅（土山宿本陣跡）米蔵 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014491
- 土山家住宅（土山宿本陣跡）米蔵 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/559525
Last verified: 2026.09.29
