About the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed
The Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed (中村家住宅農具庫, Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Nōguko) is a single-story wooden shed in Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built around 1882 and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 8, 2009. With a building area of 13 square meters, it is the smallest of the seven registered parts of the estate.
It stands north of the main house and dates from about the same year, 1882, so the family built a place for its tools at roughly the time it rebuilt the house.
An Uneven Gable and an Open Side
The Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed measures 6.5 meters by 2.0 meters, a long, shallow building only 2 meters deep. Its ridge runs north to south, and the roof is a Maneki-yane, a gable with one slope carried further down than the other, laid with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara).
The east side has no wall at all. The other sides are plastered in Shikkui, with a band of wooden wainscot (Koshiita) along the front and part of one side. Inside, the floor is bare earth (Doma) and the walls are plain clay.
Tools went in and out through the open east side and rested on the earth floor, presumably so that hoes, spades and straw rain capes for everyday fieldwork could be grabbed quickly.
A Fence Between Shed and House
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a fence and other barriers once stood between the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed and the main house, dividing the grounds. The description does not say what remains of it today.
If a work area was fenced off on the north side of the house, the estate separated its living space from its working space, and this shed stood on the working side.
Why the Farm Tool Shed Was Registered
The Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. It is a plain shed of 13 square meters, but it counts as one of the buildings that together make up a village headman's (Shōya) estate.
Tools did not need the thick earthen walls of a storehouse, so they went into an airy, open shed. The building shows how the estate's structures were made to suit what they held.
Seeing the Farm Tool Shed
The Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed stands on private property north of the main house, and as of September 2026 we found no official notice of openings. Its open east side faces into the estate.
Please stay off the property and do not look into the grounds. Directions are on the Nakamura Family Residence (Gotsu) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed built?
- Around 1882, at about the same time as the main house.
- How big is the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed?
- It measures 6.5 meters by 2.0 meters, with a building area of 13 square meters, and is a single-story wooden building.
- What kind of roof does the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed have?
- A maneki-yane, a gable with one slope longer than the other, running north to south and laid with red Sekishū tiles.
- What are the features of the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed?
- The east side is left open, the other sides are plastered with wooden wainscot along the front, and the inside has an earth floor and clay walls.
- Can you visit the Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed?
- It is on private property north of the main house, and we found no official information about openings. Please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed (中村家住宅農具庫) |
|---|---|
| Location | 378-1 Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 6.5 m by 2.0 m; building area 13 square meters (wooden, single story, 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 Farm Tool Shed
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007551
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nakamura Family Residence Farm Tool Shed
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/187453
- 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
