About the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn
The Okuno Motoke Residence Barn (奥野本家住宅納屋, Okuno Motoke Jūtaku Naya) is a two-story timber outbuilding in Mori, Hakuta-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture, built in the late Taishō era and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005. It covers 47 square meters and stands northwest of the main house.
It is registered as a naya, or barn, but in practice it combined a soy sauce store, a miso store and a storeroom. The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Okuno Motoke barn as a model of form, observing that although it served everyday needs, its size and design are substantial.
Soy Sauce, Miso and a Storeroom
According to the Agency, the interior of the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn is split east and west. The eastern half has an earth floor and held the soy sauce and the miso. The western half has a board floor and was used as a storeroom.
An earth floor keeps a steadier humidity, which suits casks of fermenting soy sauce and miso; the dry boarded side suits tools and household goods. The layout reflects a time when a household of this size made its own soy sauce and miso.
Board-Clad Walls Under a Shared Eave
The Okuno Motoke Residence Barn is a two-story Shinkabe post-and-plaster building with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantile (Sangawara-buki) roof running east to west. Its door is on the south side, under a canopy that continues across to the neighboring storehouse.
The east and north walls are clad in vertical boards, shielding the sides most exposed to weather, while daily traffic is gathered under the eave on the south. With the rice storehouse and the workshop, the barn forms the working corner of the estate.
Visiting the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn
The Okuno Motoke Residence Barn has no announced public opening. It stands northwest of the main house, well inside the plot, and whether it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed.
For questions about visiting, contact the owner, Yasugi City, through the Culture Division of its Board of Education. There is no official guidance on photography. Directions are on the Okuno Motoke Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okuno Motoke Residence Barn
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn?
- No public opening has been announced. Ask the owner, Yasugi City (Board of Education Culture Division), about access.
- When was the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn built?
- In the late Taishō era.
- What was the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn used for?
- Its earth-floored east half held soy sauce and miso, and its board-floored west half served as a storeroom.
- What do the walls of the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn look like?
- It is a post-and-plaster building, with vertical board cladding on the east and north walls.
- What is the registration number of the Okuno Motoke Residence Barn?
- 32-0031. It was registered as a model of form.
Basic Information
| Name | Okuno Motoke Residence Barn (奥野本家住宅納屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 27 Mori, Hakuta-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2005 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 47 square meters (two-story timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Yasugi City |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Okuno Motoke Residence Barn
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004612
- Cultural Heritage Online: Okuno Motoke Residence Barn (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/169922
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
- Yasugi City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Yasugi (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yasugi.shimane.jp/kurashi/bunka/bunkazai/sibunkazai.data/tourokubunkazai.pdf
- Yasugi City: Cultural Properties of Yasugi (contact: Board of Education Culture Division)
- https://www.city.yasugi.shimane.jp/kurashi/bunka/bunkazai/sibunkazai.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
