What the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse is
The Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse (藤田家住宅南蔵, Fujita-ke Jūtaku Minamigura) 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 Fujita lot west of Honmachi-dori, across the street from the main house, and it stands south of the north storehouse with its ridge running north to south. With a building area of 82 square meters, the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse is the largest of the three, ahead of the north storehouse (69 square meters) and the east storehouse (43 square meters). The database dates it to 1868 to 1911.
Two tatami rooms in a storehouse
The gabled kirizuma-zukuri roof is laid with red Sekishu tiles, with geya lean-tos on the east and west sides. The walls are finished in white shikkui plaster.
Inside, the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse has three rooms on each floor, and the two southern rooms on the ground floor are laid with tatami. Storehouse floors are usually boarded, so tatami suggests these rooms were meant for sitting and use, not only for storage. The records do not say how they were used.
A south gable with a lattice and a crest
The feature to look for on the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse is its south gable. A projecting degoshi lattice is set into the ground floor, and a family crest is placed above it. Projecting lattices belong to the street fronts of townhouses; on a storehouse wall they are unusual.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs explains that this gable was composed with a shrine approach to the south in mind. Of the four faces, only this one received ornament, turned toward people walking the approach. The commentary does not name the shrine.
The tatami rooms are on the same south side. Ornament outside and the finest rooms inside line up, which suggests the builders treated the south as the front of this storehouse.
Why the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse was registered
The Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic streetscape. Storehouses tend to be plain buildings at the back of a lot, but this one dresses its gable as a front toward the shrine approach. The concern for how it would be seen was there from the start, which is why the criterion fits so well.
The east storehouse on the same lot turns its gable to Honmachi-dori; the south storehouse turns its gable to the approach. Between them, the storehouses face two different public ways.
Visiting the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse
The Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse is privately owned and its interior, including the tatami rooms, is not open to visitors. There are no opening hours or fees.
The south gable is on the outside of the building, so it can be seen wherever a public road on the south side gives a view of it. The arrangement of lattice and crest is clearest from directly in front of the gable, looking up. Take photographs from the public road and stay away from the lot and its doors.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- Can I go inside the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned and the interior is not open. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 8, 2009.
- Why does the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse have tatami rooms?
- The two southern rooms on the ground floor are laid with tatami, which suggests they were used for sitting as well as storage. Their actual use is not recorded.
- What should I look for on the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse?
- The south gable, with a projecting lattice on the ground floor and a family crest above, composed with a shrine approach to the south in mind.
- How big is the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen storehouse with a building area of 82 square meters, the largest of the three on its lot, with three rooms on each floor.
- How old is the Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse?
- It dates from the early Meiji period, which the database gives as 1868 to 1911.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse (藤田家住宅南蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 154 Gotsucho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 82 square meters |
| Owner | Private (no owner name listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (south gable visible from outside) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Fujita Family Residence South Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007541
- 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
- Tenryo Gotsu Honmachi Iraka Kaido (Gotsu City)
- https://www.city.gotsu.lg.jp/soshiki/4/4657.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
