About the Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse
The Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse (佐々木家住宅新蔵, Sasaki-ke Jūtaku Shingura) is a two-story clay-walled storehouse built in 1900 in Funaba, Hino Town, Tottori Prefecture, and was entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on October 27, 2017. It is of Dozo-zukuri construction with a tiled roof and a building area of 35 square meters.
As its name says, the Sasaki New Storehouse is the newer of the estate's two storehouses, built some seventy years after the grain storehouse of 1829. It stands southeast of the main house, in front of it, and faces north toward it. The grain storehouse stands opposite to the southwest, also facing north.
A Long-Side Front and Closely Set Posts
Like its older neighbor, the Sasaki New Storehouse has a detached Okiyane roof with Kirizuma-zukuri gables, but it is entered from the long side, the arrangement called Hirairi. A Geya lean-to roof projects over the front.
Inside, each floor is a single room with no partitions. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the building as solidly made, with its posts set closely together. The more tightly the posts are spaced, the stronger the frame that carries the clay walls and the floors; here the open rooms on both levels rely on the number of posts rather than on dividing walls.
Mokkō Doors and Namako Walls
The front of the Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse is where the decoration is. The doorway and the Kannon-biraki double shutters of the upper-floor windows carry the Mokkō motif, a rounded four-lobed shape said to derive from a cross-section of a melon, long used in family crests and fittings.
Above the lean-to roof the wall is finished as Namako-kabe: flat tiles set into the wall with the joints built up in raised, rounded bands of lime plaster. The raised joints give the front a crisp, patterned face.
The storehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The agency credits its decorated front with shaping the look of the estate.
Seeing the Sasaki New Storehouse
The front of the Sasaki New Storehouse faces north toward the main house, so the mokkō doors and the namako wall face into the grounds.
The Sasaki Family Residence is used as a guesthouse taken by advance reservation, according to local tourism guides. No public viewing days or opening hours could be found as of September 2026, and no information was found on opening the storehouse interior. No official guidance on photography could be found.
If you are inside the grounds, look for the mokkō shape on the doorway and on the upper window shutters, then turn to the grain storehouse opposite and compare its gable-end front.
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Q&A
- When was the Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse built?
- In 1900 (Meiji 33). It is the second storehouse on the estate, after the grain storehouse of 1829.
- How is the Sasaki New Storehouse built?
- It is a two-story clay-walled storehouse with a detached okiyane roof, gabled and entered from the long side, with a lean-to roof over the front. Each floor is one room, and the posts are set closely for strength. The building area is 35 square meters.
- What should I look for on the Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse?
- The mokkō motif on the doorway and on the double shutters of the upper windows, and the namako wall above the lean-to roof.
- Why is the Sasaki New Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Its decorated front is credited with shaping the look of the estate, and it was registered in 2017 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse?
- No public opening could be found as of September 2026. The Sasaki Family Residence is used as a reservation-only guesthouse, and no information was found on opening the storehouse interior.
Basic Information
| Name | Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse (佐々木家住宅新蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 357 Funaba, Hino-cho, Hino-gun, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2017 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 35 m² (clay-walled, 2 stories) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (reservation-only guesthouse use) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Sasaki Family Residence New Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012024
- Tottori Cultural Properties Navi (Tottori Prefecture): Sasaki Family Residence Main House, New Reception Wing, Grain Storehouse, New Storehouse
- https://db.pref.tottori.jp/bunkazainavi.nsf/bunkazai_web_view/03D46270F5E7509C4925814E00004C06?OpenDocument=
- Hinonohi, Hino District Tourism Portal: Stay
- https://www.hinonohi.com/stay/
Last verified: 2026.09.30
