A storehouse on the corner
The Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse (若林家住宅北土蔵, Wakabayashi-ke Jūtaku Kita Dozō) is a two-storey earthen-walled (Dozo-zukuri) storehouse built in 1920 in Inukata-cho, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, moved to its present site in 1928, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2016. It stands at the northeast corner of the estate with its ridge running north to south.
It measures 7.9 metres by 4.9 metres, with a building area of 44 square metres. The roof is a pantiled (Sangawara-buki) gable (Kirizuma-zukuri), and the door opens on the west side, toward its southern end.
The walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster, and a thick plastered band called a hachimaki, literally a headband, runs beneath the eaves. The band protects the vulnerable eave line from fire and at the same time draws a crisp horizontal shadow across the wall.
Why it was registered
The Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The point is less any single detail than the part it plays in how the estate looks.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse of real presence standing beside the Western-style wing and shaping the corner of the estate. At the roadside corner, the white storehouse and the red-roofed Western wing stand side by side, two very different buildings combining into a single view.
Immediately south is the south storehouse, so the pair line the eastern edge of the plot. Shiga Tobunkai, the association of registered-property owners in Shiga, notes that both remain in close to their original condition.
What to look for
The detail to look for on the Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse is the small window in each gable wall. Each is framed by a surround in the shape of a torii gate, and the frame itself is modelled in the form of a decorative pattern, a flourish of ornament on an otherwise utilitarian building.
The gables are the triangular end walls under the pitched roof. The north gable faces the road, so the torii-shaped frame on that side may be visible from outside, depending on where you stand.
On a clear afternoon, when light from the west strikes the wall, the plaster band under the eaves casts its sharpest shadow.
Visiting
The Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse belongs to a private home and its interior is not open to the public. The exterior can be seen from the road on the north side, toward the northeast corner of the plot.
There is no official guidance on photography, but please keep to the view from the road out of respect for the residents. Visiting conditions and directions for the whole estate are on the Wakabayashi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shiga
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse?
- The interior is not open to the public. Because it stands at the northeast corner of the plot, its exterior can be seen from the road on the north side.
- How big is the Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse measuring 7.9 metres by 4.9 metres, with a building area of 44 square metres.
- When was the Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse built?
- It was built in 1920 and moved to its present site in 1928. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2016.
- What should you look for on the Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse?
- The small windows in both gable walls, framed by torii-shaped surrounds modelled on a decorative pattern. Standing beside the Western-style wing at the corner of the plot, it shapes the view of the estate from outside.
- Why was the Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Standing beside the Western-style wing at the corner of the plot, it shapes the view of the estate from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse (若林家住宅北土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 758 Inukata-cho, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration No. 25-0389, criterion: contributes to the historic landscape |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, gable roof with pantiles, building area 44 square metres; 7.9 metres by 4.9 metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Interior not open to the public (exterior visible from the road to the north) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Wakabayashi Family Residence North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011340
- Wakabayashi Family Residence (Shiga Association of Registered Tangible Cultural Property Owners)
- https://shiga-tobunkai.org/catalogue/koto/431
- List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties in Hikone (Hikone City)
- https://www.city.hikone.lg.jp/kakuka/kanko_bunka/8/2_2/4655.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
