About the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse
The Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse (山下家住宅背戸蔵, Yamashita-ke Jūtaku Setogura) is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse in Matsukawa-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built in 1898 and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 15, 2010. Its building area is 35 square meters.
Seto means the back of a house, and the storehouse lives up to the name: it stands directly north of the main house, at the very rear of the estate, with its ridge running east to west. It was added 15 years after the main house was built in 1883.
White Plaster and Namako Tiles
The Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse measures 6.9 meters by 5.0 meters and is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner, with thick earthen walls. It has a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) laid with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara), and the walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster.
The east face is where the effort went. Its base is clad in Namako-kabe, square tiles set into the wall with raised plaster joints that form a lattice and shed rain splashing up from the ground. That side also has the doorway and a window, and it carries the family crest. Decorating only one of four walls makes sense if the east side was the one people used and saw.
Curved Beams Holding Up the Ridge
The most striking feature of the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse is hidden in its roof space. Strongly curved beams rise to carry the ridge beam (Munagi) directly, with no posts in between. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the framing as full of power.
Using a crooked log so that its own curve reaches the peak of the roof takes a carpenter who can read the timber. Inside, the walls stop at the intermediate coat of plaster rather than a smooth white finish, a sign that this was a working store. The outside was dressed with white plaster and the crest; the inside kept its bare earth walls and heavy beams.
Why the Back Storehouse Was Registered
The Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. Placing a storehouse behind the main house separates living space at the front from storage at the back, and this building holds down the rear of that arrangement.
The estate also has a gate storehouse from 1841, so its two storehouses are more than half a century apart. The older one has a board-clad base, while this one uses namako tiling. Comparing the two shows how the same household finished its stores differently according to period and position.
Seeing the Back Storehouse
The Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse stands inside a private property, north of the main house, and we found no official notice of openings. From the road it is largely screened by the main house, so do not count on a clear view.
The curved roof framing is inside the building and cannot be seen unless the owners open it. Please stay off the property and do not walk around to the back of the estate. Directions are on the Yamashita Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse built?
- In 1898, 15 years after the main house, on the north side of it.
- What does "seto" in the name of the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse mean?
- It refers to the back of a house. The storehouse stands behind the main house at the rear of the estate.
- What does the outside of the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse look like?
- It is a white-plastered earthen storehouse with a gabled roof of Sekishū tiles. On the east face the base is clad in namako tiling, and there is a doorway, a window and the family crest.
- What is special about the roof framing of the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse?
- Strongly curved beams carry the ridge beam directly. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the framing as full of power. The inner walls are left at the intermediate plaster coat.
- Can you see the Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse?
- It is on private property and we found no official information about openings. It sits behind the main house, so it is hard to see from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse (山下家住宅背戸蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 598 Hatada, Matsukawa-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2010 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 6.9 m by 5.0 m; building area 35 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): Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008061
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yamashita Family Residence Back Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/193212
- 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
