About the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse
The Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse (寺岡糸店石蔵, Teraoka Itoten Ishigura) is a single-storey stone storehouse built in 1919 in Tenmyōchō, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on December 5, 2019. It has a tiled roof and a building area of 73 m².
It stands in the middle of the north side of the plot, facing south. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it held raw thread, which makes it the building most directly tied to the trade Teraoka Itoten carried on.
Exposed Ōya Stone at the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse
The walls of the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse are laid in Ōya stone and left exposed. Ōya stone is a volcanic tuff quarried around Ōya in Utsunomiya, also in Tochigi Prefecture; it is easy to cut and shape and has long been used for storehouses and walls across the region.
Two projecting bands, or Hachimaki, run around the top of the walls. The gabled roof is laid with pantiles, a small canopy, or Hisashi, projects over the front, and the entrance is closed by iron doors that slide apart.
Next door, the bunko storehouse imitates stone with a cement finish over earthen walls. Here the stone is real, so the back of the plot holds a pair of storehouses that look alike from a distance but are built in entirely different ways.
Board Linings and a Truss Roof
Inside the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse, narrow boards are fixed to the walls at regular intervals, giving the stone shell a timber lining.
The roof is framed as a Truss, with members joined in triangles to carry the load. A truss shows a Western building method at work in a Taisho-era storehouse, and with a floor area of 73 m² this is the larger of the two Teraoka Itoten storehouses.
Why the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse Was Registered
The Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse was listed as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles it out as a raw-thread store that conveys the history of a thread wholesaler.
Raw thread here means yarn as material, before it went on to weavers or other processors. While the shop and main house speak of the firm's frontage and home life, the stone storehouse is linked to the goods themselves, and it occupies the middle of the plot's north side.
Seeing the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse
The Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse is owned by the company Teraoka Itoten, and its interior is not open to the public (checked October 2026). It stands on the north side of the plot with the shop and main house between it and the road, and we could not confirm whether it can be seen from outside. There is no official guidance on photography, so please be considerate of the surrounding homes. Directions are on the Teraoka Itoten page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse built?
- In 1919. Only the bunko storehouse is older, and both predate the shop and main house of 1933.
- What was the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse used for?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it was used to store raw thread for the thread wholesaling business.
- What stone is the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse built of?
- Ōya stone from Tochigi Prefecture, left exposed on the outside. Two projecting bands run around the top, and the entrance has sliding iron doors.
- When did the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on December 5, 2019, as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. Its registration number is 09-0248.
- Can I visit the Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse?
- The interior is not open to the public (checked October 2026). It stands on the north side of the plot, and visibility from the road has not been confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse (寺岡糸店石蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2702 Tenmyocho, Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2019 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 73 m² (single-storey stone building, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Teraoka Itoten Partnership (Gōmei Kaisha Teraoka Itoten) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (visibility from outside the plot not confirmed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013041
- Cultural Heritage Online: Teraoka Itoten Stone Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/451970
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Registration of Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures), July 19, 2019 (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/91972801_01.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
