What Is the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse?
The Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse (財間家住宅下の蔵, Zaima-ke Jūtaku Shimo no Kura) is a late Meiji-period (1898 to 1911) earthen-walled storehouse in Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on September 10, 2010.
It stands on the east edge of the Zaima Family Residence, immediately north of the upper storehouse. The two-story Dozo-zukuri building measures 9.6 by 3.7 meters, with a building area of 35 m², and was altered in the early Showa period (1926 to 1945).
Why the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse Was Registered
The Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, under registration number 32-0123. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points out that together with the upper storehouse it gives the east side of the lot a coherent face. The two north-south storehouses stand end to end, closing off the back of the property with a single line of storehouse walls.
Tsuwano's board of education notes that large lots on Honmachi-dori, such as those of sake dealers, usually had a row of storehouses behind the main house. The lower and upper storehouses are that row at the Zaima Family Residence.
Rice Store and Hiai
A ground floor in two parts
The roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable in pan tiles, and the earthen walls rise from a stacked-stone base. Inside, the ground floor of the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse is divided into two rooms, north and south, and the northern one was used to store rice, according to the Agency's record.
The room between the storehouses
Between the lower and upper storehouses is a small room called the hiai, where pickle jars and similar things were kept. The gap between two buildings became a pantry for everyday food. With the pickle storehouse and firewood shed behind the main house, rice and pickles were kept together at the back of the property.
Neither the Agency nor the town explains the meaning of the word hiai or how it is written in kanji.
Seeing the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse
The Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse stands at the back of private property, and neither it nor the hiai is open to the public. How much of it can be seen from Honmachi-dori or the south lane has not been confirmed. Please do not enter the property. Directions are on the page for the Zaima Family Residence.
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Q&A
- What is the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse?
- A two-story earthen-walled storehouse of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1911), 9.6 by 3.7 meters, with a building area of 35 m².
- What was kept in the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse?
- Its ground floor is divided into two rooms, and the northern room was used to store rice.
- What is the hiai next to the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse?
- A small room between the lower and upper storehouses where pickle jars and the like were kept.
- When was the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse registered?
- On September 10, 2010, for its contribution to the historic landscape, as registration number 32-0123.
- Can I visit the Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse?
- No. It is at the back of private property, and the view from outside has not been confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | Ha 38 and others, Ushiroda Aza Honmachi, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 35 m², 9.6 m by 3.7 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008331
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008330
- Tsuwano Culture Portal (Tsuwano Board of Education): Tsuwano Preservation District (in Japanese)
- https://tsuwano-bunka.net/cultural-property/detail_hozon-area/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
