What the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse is
The Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse (藤田家住宅北蔵, Fujita-ke Jūtaku Kitagura) is a two-story dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse from the early Meiji period in Gotsucho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 8, 2009.
It is one of three storehouses on the lot west of Honmachi-dori, across the street from the main house, and stands west of the east storehouse, which fronts the street. The Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse measures 11 meters by 6.4 meters in ketayuki and harima, with a building area of 69 square meters; its length is nearly twice that of the east storehouse (6.2 meters). The database dates it to 1868 to 1911.
Two floors of boards, two kinds of wall
The gabled kirizuma-zukuri roof runs north to south and is laid with red Sekishu tiles. Inside, the ground floor of the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse is divided into two rooms and the upper floor is one open room; both floors are boarded.
The inner wall finish changes between floors: boards downstairs, bare earthen plaster upstairs. Lining the ground floor, where goods came in and out, with boards would have protected the wall; upstairs the clay surface is simply left exposed.
Three tiers of beams on an ox beam
The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the framing above the upper floor. On a heavy ushibari, or "ox beam," three tiers of beams are stacked to carry a keshō-yaneura, an exposed roof underside left without a ceiling.
An ushibari runs along the length of the building as its main spine, and the stacked beams on top of it step up to meet the roof. Because there is no ceiling, anyone on the upper floor of the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse would see all three tiers overhead. It is this frame that lets a 6.4-meter span be used as a single room without posts.
Why the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse was registered
The Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse was registered as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce. Building a three-tier frame on an ox beam calls for large timbers and for the care of framing meant to be seen.
Only two of the eight Fujita buildings were registered on this ground: this one and the inner storehouse across the street. The inner storehouse was valued for its bamboo roof sheathing, a matter of light material laid with thought; the north storehouse for the sheer size and layering of its beams.
Visiting the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse
The Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse is privately owned, and no official information about public access could be found. Its framing is inside, on the upper floor, and cannot be seen from outside.
The east storehouse is the one that fronts Honmachi-dori; the north storehouse stands behind it to the west, so from the street it is largely screened. Please do not enter the lot.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- How old is the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse?
- It dates from the early Meiji period, which the database gives as 1868 to 1911. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 8, 2009.
- How big is the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen storehouse 11 meters by 6.4 meters, with a building area of 69 square meters.
- What is special about the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse?
- The roof framing over the upper floor: three tiers of beams stacked on an ox beam, carrying an exposed roof underside with no ceiling.
- What is inside the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse?
- Two rooms downstairs and one open room upstairs, both with board floors. The walls are boarded downstairs and bare earthen plaster upstairs.
- Can I visit the Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned and stands behind the east storehouse, so it is hard to see even from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse (藤田家住宅北蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 154 Gotsucho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 11 meters by 6.4 meters, building area 69 square meters |
| Owner | Private (no owner name listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (behind the east storehouse, hard to see from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Fujita Family Residence North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007540
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Fujita Family Residence East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007539
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Fujita Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007537
- Tenryo Gotsu Honmachi Iraka Kaido (Gotsu City)
- https://www.city.gotsu.lg.jp/soshiki/4/4657.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
