About the Murano Family Residence Storehouse
The Murano Family Residence Storehouse (村野家住宅土蔵, Murano-ke Jūtaku Dozō) 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. Built in the Dozo-zukuri manner and covering 26 square meters, it is the smallest of the three storehouses on the Murano estate.
It stands north of the main house, at the back of the property, well apart from the grain storehouse and the new storehouse that face the front garden.
A Small White Storehouse Entered from the Gable End
The Murano storehouse runs east to west under a gabled roof clad in iron sheet, and is entered from a gable end, the arrangement called Tsumairi. It measures 5.4 by 3.6 meters, a footprint of about 12 tatami mats, with a second floor above, which makes it tall for its size.
The walls are finished in white lime plaster. High on the east gable, just under the peak of the roof, is the family crest; the Tama-hokubu regional council's guide identifies it as crossed hawk feathers in a circle. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the white storehouse as a clear counterpoint to the thatched main house.
Close-Set Posts and Iron Bars Inside
What makes the Murano Family Residence Storehouse notable is hidden inside. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the interior has posts set at close intervals and lined with boards, with iron bars standing between the posts.
The effect is a second enclosure of timber and iron within the clay walls, which the Agency calls a strict, heavily secured specification. The sources do not say what was kept here, but the fortified interior and the storehouse's position at the back of the estate suggest it was built to protect things the household valued most.
Seeing the Murano Storehouse
The storehouse sits deep inside a private estate and cannot be seen from the road. It can only be viewed from outside during the spring and autumn special guided tours; visitors do not go in (checked September 2026). On a tour, walk round to the east gable to look for the crest near the roof peak. 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 Storehouse built?
- It dates from the late Edo period (1830 to 1868).
- How big is the Murano Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a two-story clay-walled storehouse measuring 5.4 by 3.6 meters, with a building area of 26 square meters.
- What crest is on the Murano Family Residence Storehouse?
- A family crest is set high on the east gable. The Tama-hokubu regional council's guide identifies it as crossed hawk feathers in a circle.
- What is unusual about the inside of the Murano Family Residence Storehouse?
- Posts are set close together and lined with boards, and iron bars stand between them, a heavily secured arrangement.
- Can the Murano Family Residence Storehouse be seen from the road?
- No. It stands behind the main house and can only be seen from outside on the spring and autumn special tours (checked September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Murano Family Residence Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-283 Yanagikubo, Higashikurume City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 5.4 m × 3.6 m; building area 26 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 Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008421
- Cultural Heritage Online: Murano Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/146907
- Higashikurume City: Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashikurume.lg.jp/shisei/profile/bunkazai/1002392.html
- Tamaroku Navi (Tama-hokubu Toshi Kōiki Gyōsei-ken Kyōgikai): Murano Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.tama6.jp/meguri/place/post_40.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
