What Is the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse?
The Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse (大川家住宅続蔵, Ōkawa-ke Jūtaku Tsuzukigura) is a single-storey storage range of the late Edo period on the east edge of the Okawa estate in Omata-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture; combining a shed, a grain store and a miso store under one roof, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 March 2003. It covers 81 square meters.
It stands east of the Main House and continues north from the Tatsumi Storehouse. The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists its structure as timber and Dozo-zukuri earthen construction, so both building methods are found within one range.
Dated to the late Edo period (1830 to 1867), it is one of only two Okawa buildings that go back to the Edo era, the other being the Main Storehouse of 1851. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Three Buildings Under One Roof
The Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse is made up of three parts built to different specifications. There is a tatsumiya shed used for general storage (3 by 3 Ken), a grain store (2 by 2 ken) and a miso store (3 by 2 ken) for the household's soybean paste.
A single gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles runs over all three. The agency calls this the tategurumi method, literally wrapping the buildings together: what would otherwise be three separate structures become one. The Japanese name tsuzukigura, a storehouse that continues on, fits the result well.
Grain, miso and household goods kept together on the east side of the estate show where the family kept the everyday stores that fed the household.
Timber Boards Beside White Plaster
The east face of the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse is clad in Shitami-itabari weatherboarding held by vertical battens. Its neighbor to the south, the Tatsumi Storehouse, is finished in white Shikkui plaster, and the agency points to the contrast between the two.
Both stand on the Ishigaki stone wall along the east edge of the lot. A tall white 2-storey storehouse stands beside a long, low boarded range, and it is this row that the agency describes as the core of the estate's eastern landscape.
Today the Adjoining Storehouse is the nursery school's library. A building that once held rice and miso is now where children come to read.
Seeing the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse
The Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse is used as the nursery school's library and is not open to the public. Anyone hoping to see it should contact the school in advance.
If you have the chance, look at how the wall finishes change from one section to the next under the single roof, and how the range meets the Tatsumi Storehouse. The pairing of white plaster and timber boards on the stone wall is the view to look for. Do not enter private land, and keep children out of any photographs.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1830 to 1867), according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- What kind of building is the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse?
- A single-storey range combining a storage shed, a grain store and a miso store under one gabled pantile roof, built partly in timber and partly as an earthen storehouse, with a building area of 81 square meters.
- What does tategurumi mean for the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse?
- It is the agency's term for setting one continuous roof over separate buildings so that they read as a single structure.
- When did the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 18 March 2003, as registration number 09-0076, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse?
- It is used as the nursery school's library and is not open to the public. Contact the school in advance if you wish to visit.
Basic Information
| Name | Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse (大川家住宅続蔵, Ōkawa-ke Jūtaku Tsuzukigura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1412 Omata-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), Registration No. 09-0076 |
| Year Designated | 2003 (registered 18 March 2003) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber and earthen storehouse, 1-storey, tiled roof, building area 81 square meters |
| Owner | Omata Yoji Seikatsudan (social welfare corporation) |
| Public Access | In use as part of a nursery school; not open to the public (contact the school in advance) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003193
- Okawa Family Residence Adjoining Storehouse (Tochigi Cultural Properties, Tochigi Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://bunkazai.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/cultural/%E3%80%90%E5%A4%A7%E5%B7%9D%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%E7%B6%9A%E8%94%B5%E3%80%91/
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, Buildings (Ashikaga City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/education/000029/000169/000627/p001307.html
- School Buildings (Omata Yoji Seikatsudan, in Japanese)
- https://omatayouji.org/introduction
Last verified: 2026.09.27
