About the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse
The Ota Family Residence South Storehouse (太田家住宅南蔵, Ōta-ke Jūtaku Minamigura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse at the south-west corner of the Ota estate in Yamatocho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, built in the late Edo period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2021.
It covers 59 m² and is the oldest of the estate's seven registered structures: the Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868. It was already standing in this corner when the shop and main house went up around 1875.
A Double Band Under the Eaves
The Ota Family Residence South Storehouse has a gabled pantile roof and a lean-to on the east side, where a single wooden door slides open. Upstairs there are windows on the east and south walls.
The first thing to notice from outside is the Hachimaki, the thick band of plaster that wraps the top of the walls under the eaves. Here it is doubled, laid on in two tiers, which makes the whole eave line look heavier. The database singles out this weighty exterior.
The database entry for the west storehouse on the same estate mentions its plastered band but says nothing about a second tier. The thickened eave line is what sets the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse apart among the family's storehouses.
An Alternating Roof Frame
Inside there is one room on each floor, with board floors and plastered walls.
The roof frame alternates two kinds of beam. Nobori-bari are raking beams laid along the slope of the roof; the other type is a second tier of horizontal beams set on short posts above the main tie beams. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records this alternating arrangement as a feature of the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse.
Together with the west storehouse, it defines the western side of the estate.
Seeing the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse
The Ota Family Residence South Storehouse is part of a private home and its interior is not open. Tochigi Prefecture lists the property as open for exterior viewing only.
Standing in the south-west corner, it is the building furthest from the shop on the street, and it has not been confirmed how much of it can be seen from the road. If you can see it, look at the doubled band under the eaves and the upper windows on the east and south. Directions to the estate are on the page for the Ota Family Residence in Sano.
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Q&A
- When was the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse built?
- The national database places it in the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868, making it the oldest of the seven. It was registered in 2021.
- How is the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse built?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a gabled pantile roof and a lean-to on the east with a sliding wooden door. The building area is 59 m².
- What is distinctive about the outside of the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse?
- The plaster band under the eaves is doubled, giving it a heavy look. The upper floor has windows on the east and south.
- What is the roof structure of the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse like?
- Raking beams and a second tier of horizontal beams are set alternately. Inside there is one room per floor with board floors and plastered walls.
- Can you visit the Ota Family Residence South Storehouse?
- Only from outside. It stands in the south-west corner, and how much of it is visible from the road has not been confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Ota Family Residence South Storehouse (太田家住宅南蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2583-1 Edomachi, Yamatocho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2021 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 59 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Exterior only (privately owned) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 太田家住宅南蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013681
- Tochigi Prefecture Cultural Properties: 太田家住宅南蔵
- https://bunkazai.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/cultural/%E3%80%90%E5%A4%AA%E7%94%B0%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%E5%8D%97%E8%94%B5%E3%80%91/
Last verified: 2026.09.30
