What Is the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse?
The Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse (大川家住宅西蔵, Ōkawa-ke Jūtaku Nishigura) is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse of the early Meiji era on the Okawa estate in Omata-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 March 2003. With a building area of 31 square meters, it is the smallest of the seven registered buildings.
It stands west of the Main House and southwest of the Main Storehouse, its ridge running north to south. It measures 3 by 2 Ken, under a gabled Sangawara-buki pantile roof built as an Okiyane, a separate roof set over the earthen walls.
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs treats the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse and the Main Storehouse together as the principal buildings of the west side of the estate.
A Small Store Entered from the Gable End
The entrance of the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse is in its north gable wall, the end where the triangle of the roof shows. This Tsumairi arrangement differs from the Main Storehouse, which is entered from its long side.
The north end faces the Main Storehouse. The door was probably turned that way to make moving between the two easier, and the small building's position suggests the west side of the estate was used as one unit with the Main Storehouse.
A Covered Link and White Walls
The Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse and the Main Storehouse are joined by a passage running along the wall, so the family could pass from one to the other without going outside.
The walls are finished entirely in white Shikkui lime plaster. The Main Storehouse next to it has a black base below the white, so the two buildings, one large and one small, are easy to tell apart by their walls alone.
Seeing the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse
The Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse stands on the west side of the nursery school grounds and is not open to the public. Anyone hoping to see it should contact the school in advance.
If you have the chance, look for the door in the north gable and the way the passage meets the Main Storehouse. Seeing the all-white West Storehouse and the two-tone Main Storehouse together makes the plan of the west side clear. Keep children out of any photographs.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji era, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- How large is the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey earthen storehouse with a building area of 31 square meters, measuring 3 by 2 ken. It is the smallest of the seven registered Okawa buildings.
- How is the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse connected to the Main Storehouse?
- By a covered passage running along the wall. Its door is in the north gable, facing the Main Storehouse.
- When did the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 18 March 2003, as registration number 09-0073, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse?
- It stands inside the grounds of a working nursery school and is not open to the public. Contact the school in advance if you wish to visit.
Basic Information
| Name | Okawa Family Residence West Storehouse (大川家住宅西蔵, Ōkawa-ke Jūtaku Nishigura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1412 Omata-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), Registration No. 09-0073 |
| Year Designated | 2003 (registered 18 March 2003) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2-storey, tiled roof, building area 31 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 West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003190
- Okawa Family Residence West 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%E8%A5%BF%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
