About the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary
The Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary (中村家住宅旧郷蔵, Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Kyū-Gōgura) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built in 1847 and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 8, 2009. It was altered in the mid Showa era and has a building area of 27 square meters.
It did not begin as the family's own store. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it was the gogura of the old village of Onuki, a communal granary that held unhulled rice against famine. A village reserve, in other words, was kept inside the headman's compound.
In the Southeast Corner
The Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary occupies the southeast corner of the estate, at the far end of the row of storehouses that runs southeast from the main house past the nando storehouse and the rice and sundries storehouse.
At 6.9 meters by 3.9 meters it is the smallest of the four storehouses. It is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, with a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) running east to west, laid with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara), and a pent roof (Hisashi) on the north side.
A Village Store in a Headman's Yard
A gogura was a storehouse run jointly by a village. Its job was to hold grain in ordinary years as a reserve against failed harvests and famine. The grain was kept as unhulled rice, which stores far longer than brown or polished rice.
That the granary stood within the headman's (Shōya) estate probably reflects the headman's responsibility for village affairs, including the reserve. When the building came to be in this corner, and whether it stood here from the start, is not recorded in the published sources.
Either way, the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary served a whole community rather than one household, and the Agency describes it as a structure that conveys local history.
Date and Significance
The year 1847 makes the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary the oldest of the seven registered parts with an exact construction date. It was built roughly a decade after the great famine of the Tenpō era (1830 to 1844) struck much of Japan.
It was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. Altered in the mid Showa era, it still preserves within the estate a building older than the main house of 1882.
Seeing the Former Village Granary
The Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary stands on private property in the southeast corner of the estate, and as of September 2026 we found no official notice of openings. Its interior cannot be seen unless the owners open it.
The south side is where the stone wall is at its highest, and the granary stands inside it. 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 Former Village Granary
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary built?
- In 1847. It was altered in the mid Showa era, and it is the oldest of the seven registered parts with an exact construction date.
- What is a gogura, as at the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary?
- A storehouse run jointly by a village. This one held unhulled rice for the old village of Onuki as a reserve against famine.
- Why is the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary inside a headman's estate?
- Probably because the headman was responsible for village affairs, including the reserve. When it came to stand here is not recorded in published sources.
- How big is the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary?
- It measures 6.9 meters by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 27 square meters, the smallest of the four storehouses on the estate.
- Can you visit the Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary?
- It is on private property in the southeast corner of the estate, and we found no official information about openings. Please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary (中村家住宅旧郷蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 3.9 m; building area 27 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 Former Village Granary
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007550
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nakamura Family Residence Former Village Granary
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/172852
- 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
