About the Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse
The Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse (村野家住宅穀蔵, Murano-ke Jūtaku Kokugura) is a two-story clay-walled storehouse of the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) in Yanagikubo 4-chome, Higashikurume City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on January 26, 2011. It is built in the Dozo-zukuri manner and covers 37 square meters.
The grain storehouse stands southwest of the main house, with the new storehouse beside it to the north. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period and records that it was moved to its present site within that same period. Where it stood before is not recorded in the sources consulted.
A Detached Roof and a Base of Ōya Stone
The Murano grain storehouse runs east to west under a gabled iron-sheet roof and is entered from a gable end, in the Tsumairi manner. It measures 7.3 by 4.6 meters. The roof is an Okiyane, a separate roof set on top of the clay body rather than built into it; the arrangement is said to help the storehouse body survive if the roof burns and falls away.
Around the base of the walls run four courses of cut stone, with white lime plaster above. The Agency identifies the stone as Ōya stone, the soft volcanic tuff quarried near Utsunomiya, and describes the pairing of stone and white plaster as clean and restrained. That band of greenish-gray stone under the white wall is the building's signature.
Stepped Doors and a Board-Lined Interior
On the east side, the opening is closed by a pair of hinged doors finished in Kakegonuri, a storehouse technique in which the door edges are built up in stepped layers of plaster so they lock tightly into the frame when shut.
The inside walls are lined with boards. As its name suggests, the building was presumably used to store grain from Yanagikubo's dry-field farms, but no source consulted describes its use in detail.
Seeing the Murano Grain Storehouse
The grain storehouse stands within a private estate and is normally closed to visitors. On the spring and autumn special tours it can be seen from outside with a guide, but not entered (checked September 2026). From the east side you can take in the stepped doors and the four courses of stone together, and see the grain storehouse side by side with the new storehouse to the north. There is no official guidance on photography. Tour and access details are on the Murano Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse built?
- It dates from the late Edo period (1830 to 1868), and the Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it was moved to its present site within that period.
- How is Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse pronounced in Japanese?
- Kokugura, written 穀蔵, meaning grain storehouse. The full name is Murano-ke Jūtaku Kokugura.
- What stone is used on the Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse?
- Four courses of cut stone line the base of the walls. The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies it as Ōya stone; the walls above are white lime plaster.
- How big is the Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse?
- It is a two-story clay-walled storehouse measuring 7.3 by 4.6 meters, with a building area of 37 square meters.
- Can visitors go inside the Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse?
- No. The interior is not open. It can be seen from outside on the spring and autumn special tours (checked September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-283 Yanagikubo, Higashikurume City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 7.3 m × 4.6 m; building area 37 m² (2-story clay-walled storehouse, iron-sheet roof) |
| Owner | Kaneshichi Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed (exterior viewing on spring and autumn special tours) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008422
- Cultural Heritage Online: Murano Family Residence Grain Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/169598
- Higashikurume City: Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashikurume.lg.jp/shisei/profile/bunkazai/1002392.html
- Murano Family Residence (Kosoen) official website: Autumn 2026 special tour dates (Japanese)
- https://www.kosoen.tokyo/2026/09/2025.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
