What Is the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura?
The Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura (Room Storehouse) (財間家住宅部屋の蔵, Zaima-ke Jūtaku Heya no Kura) is a late Meiji-period (1898 to 1911) earthen-walled storehouse on Honmachi-dori in Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on September 10, 2010.
It stands north of the main house, on the far side of the garden, with its ridge running north to south. A two-story Dozo-zukuri building measuring 5.9 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 23 m², it is the smallest of the three storehouses at the Zaima Family Residence. No later alterations are recorded.
Why the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura Was Registered
The Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, under registration number 32-0124. In its note on the main gate, the Agency for Cultural Affairs says the main house, the gate and this storehouse together give the property a dignified street front. The Heya-no-kura holds the north end of that row.
Neither the Agency nor the town explains the name, which means roughly "storehouse by the rooms." Its position is certainly different from the other two storehouses: it sits at the back of the garden near the parlors, while they line the far east edge of the lot.
Walls and Openings of the Zaima Heya-no-kura
Plaster and namako tiles
The roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable in pan tiles. The storehouse rises from a stacked-stone base, and its walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster. The lower part of the wall is Namako-kabe: flat tiles set into the plaster with raised white joints in a grid. The pattern protects the base of the wall where rain splashes back.
A copper-shuttered window toward the street
The entrance is on the east side, closed by a pair of Kakegonuri doors, whose edges are plastered in stepped layers so that they seal tightly when shut, a fire-proofing measure typical of storehouses.
On the side facing the street, a window high in the wall is fitted with hinged copper shutters. Among the Zaima storehouses, it is the only one whose official description mentions copper shutters, and the window is the detail that catches the eye from below.
Seeing the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura
The Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura stands on private ground, and neither the interior nor the east entrance is open to the public. Its street-side wall and the copper-shuttered window can be seen from Honmachi-dori. Stand just north of the main gate and look up at the top of the wall. Please keep photographs to the exterior from the street. Directions are on the page for the Zaima Family Residence.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura (Room Storehouse)
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- What is the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura?
- A two-story earthen-walled storehouse of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1911), 5.9 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 23 m².
- Where is the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura?
- North of the main house of the Zaima Family Residence, across the garden, facing Honmachi-dori.
- What is distinctive about the walls of the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura?
- White lime plaster with a namako tile base, and a high window toward the street fitted with copper shutters.
- When was the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura registered?
- On September 10, 2010, for its contribution to the historic landscape, as registration number 32-0124.
- Can I go inside the Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura?
- No. It is on private ground and is seen from Honmachi-dori.
Basic Information
| Name | Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura (Room 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 23 m², 5.9 m by 3.9 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from Honmachi-dori) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Heya-no-kura (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008332
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Main Gate (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008333
- Tsuwano Culture Portal (Tsuwano Board of Education): Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://tsuwano-bunka.net/cultural-property/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
