About the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse
The Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse (中村家住宅背戸蔵, Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Setogura) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built in the late Edo period (1830 to 1867) and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 8, 2009. It was altered in the early Meiji era and has a building area of 34 square meters.
Seto means the back door or back of a house. The storehouse stands directly opposite the rear door of the main house's earth-floored work area (Doma), which is presumably how it got its name.
The Outside of the Back Storehouse
The Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse measures 6.9 meters by 4.9 meters and is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, with thick earthen walls. Its gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) is laid with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs says the walls were finished in white Shikkui plaster, using the past tense. That tells us how the building was first finished; the description does not say what state the walls are in now.
Bamboo Under the Roof
The interest of the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse lies inside. Both floors are boarded, and the walls are left as rough earthen plaster, with no finishing coat. This was a working store.
The roof is carried by short posts standing on the tie beams, which in turn hold up a jimune, a heavy timber running beneath the ridge that gathers the load of the roof.
Under the tiles, the original bamboo sheathing survives. The base for a tiled roof is usually boarded, but here it is made of bamboo laid side by side, and the Agency notes that it gives the interior a distinctive texture.
Why the Back Storehouse Was Registered
The Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. Its position facing the rear door shows it was a store reached straight from the house, and it preserves the everyday route between dwelling and storage.
It is older than the 1882 main house. When the house was rebuilt, this late Edo storehouse was kept, reworked in the early Meiji era and used on.
Seeing the Back Storehouse
The Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse stands behind the main house at the back of the estate, screened from the road by the house itself. Do not count on seeing much of it.
The bamboo sheathing and the roof framing are inside and cannot be seen unless the owners open the building, and as of September 2026 we found no official notice of openings. Please stay off the property and do not walk around to the back of the estate. Directions are on the Nakamura Family Residence (Gotsu) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1830 to 1867). It was altered in the early Meiji era.
- What does "seto" in the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse mean?
- It means the back door or back of a house. The storehouse faces the rear door of the main house's work area.
- How big is the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse?
- It measures 6.9 meters by 4.9 meters, with a building area of 34 square meters, and has two stories.
- What is inside the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse?
- Boarded floors and rough earthen walls. Short posts on the beams hold up a heavy ridge timber, and the original bamboo roof sheathing survives.
- Can you see the Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse?
- It is on private property behind the main house, and we found no official information about openings. It is hard to see from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse (中村家住宅背戸蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 378-1 Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 6.9 m by 4.9 m; building area 34 square meters (earthen-walled storehouse, two stories, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (on private property) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007547
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nakamura Family Residence Back Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/198539
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
