What Is the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse?
The Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse (財間家住宅上の蔵, Zaima-ke Jūtaku Kami 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 is a two-story Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a building area of 35 m², standing in the southeast corner of the Zaima Family Residence with its ridge running north to south. The lower storehouse continues immediately to the north. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records an alteration in the early Showa period (1926 to 1945).
Why the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse Was Registered
The Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, under registration number 32-0122. Its corner is where the south lane meets the east edge of the lot, and the storehouse anchors it. With the lower storehouse it forms a line of storehouses along the east side, and on the south it joins the side gate and the pickle storehouse and firewood shed in giving the lane its row of walls.
Outside and Inside the Zaima Upper Storehouse
A south wall in washed finish
The roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable in pan tiles. On a stacked-stone base, the walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster, except on the south. There the wall is covered high up in arai-dashi, a mortar finish washed with water while still soft so that the gravel in it stands out, with a window opening near the top. Its grainy grey surface is nothing like the smooth plaster on the other sides.
The effect is to armor the wall that faces the lane with a tougher, weather-resistant skin. Of the three storehouses at the Zaima Family Residence, only the upper storehouse has this washed finish.
A tiled hood over the door
The entrance is on the west side, facing into the property, and is closed by a pair of Kakegonuri doors with stepped plastered edges. A small tiled Hisashi hood above them keeps rain off the doorway.
Inside, the walls stop at the middle coat of plaster, without a final white coat, and the floor is laid with boards.
Seeing the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse
The Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse stands on private ground, and neither the interior nor the west doors are open to the public. What you can see from outside is the south wall on the lane, where the washed finish and the high window are clear. Please keep photographs to the exterior and do not block the lane. Directions are on the page for the Zaima Family Residence.
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Q&A
- What is the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse?
- A two-story earthen-walled storehouse of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1911) with a building area of 35 m², altered in the early Showa period.
- Where is the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse?
- In the southeast corner of the Zaima Family Residence lot, with the lower storehouse immediately to the north.
- Why does the south wall of the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse look different?
- It is finished high up in washed mortar that exposes the gravel, while the other walls are white lime plaster.
- When was the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse registered?
- On September 10, 2010, for its contribution to the historic landscape, as registration number 32-0122.
- Can I go inside the Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse?
- No. Only the south wall facing the lane can be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Zaima Family Residence Upper 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 |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the lane on the south side) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Upper Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008330
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Zaima Family Residence Lower Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008331
- Tsuwano Culture Portal (Tsuwano Board of Education): Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://tsuwano-bunka.net/cultural-property/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
