About the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse
The Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse (中村家住宅納戸蔵, Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Nandogura) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built in the early Meiji era and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 8, 2009. It was altered around 1953 and has a building area of 45 square meters.
It stands southeast of the main house, with the rice and sundries storehouse beyond it to the south. A nando is a room for keeping clothing, bedding and household furnishings, and the name suggests this was where the family stored its belongings.
An Earthen Storehouse on a Tall Stone Base
The Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse measures 7.9 meters by 5.9 meters, second in size among the four storehouses on the estate. It is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, with its gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) running east to west and laid with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara), and a pent roof (Hisashi) along the north side.
What catches the eye is the base. The storehouse sits on high stone footings, which lift the floor well clear of the ground, presumably to keep damp and rainwater away from what was stored inside.
A Ground Floor Turned into a Room
Inside the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse, the western half of the ground floor has been converted into a room. It has a Tokonoma alcove and a cupboard, and wide windows open on the south side.
Storehouses normally keep their openings small against fire and theft. Fitting one with an alcove room and large south-facing windows turned part of it into living space. Whether this conversion was part of the work done around 1953 cannot be confirmed from the published sources, but it plainly records a change in how the building was used.
Why the Nando Storehouse Was Registered
The Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. It is the nearest to the house of the three storehouses lined up to its southeast, and it forms part of that row.
From outside it still reads as a tiled earthen storehouse on its stone base, while inside it was adapted to later ways of living. The interest of the building lies in having both in one structure.
Seeing the Nando Storehouse
The Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse stands on private property southeast of the main house, and as of September 2026 we found no official notice of openings. The converted room is inside and cannot be seen unless the owners open the building.
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 Nando Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji era. It was altered around 1953.
- How big is the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse?
- It measures 7.9 meters by 5.9 meters, with a building area of 45 square meters, and has two stories.
- What does "nando" in the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse mean?
- A nando is a room for storing clothing, bedding and household furnishings, which suggests the building held the family's belongings.
- What is inside the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse?
- The western half of the ground floor was converted into a room with a tokonoma alcove, a cupboard and wide south-facing windows.
- Can you visit the Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse?
- It is on private property, and we found no official information about openings. Please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse (中村家住宅納戸蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 378-1 Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 7.9 m by 5.9 m; building area 45 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 Nando Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007548
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nakamura Family Residence Nando Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/192270
- 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
