An Older Storehouse at the Back of the Plot
The Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse (米原家住宅土蔵) is a storehouse of the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897) in Chizu, Chizu Town, Tottori Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 69 square metres; registration number 31-0199.
The Storehouse at the Back of the Plot
The Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse stands at the back of the plot to the south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a 2-storey storehouse, 6 by 2 and a half bays, under a gabled tiled roof, with a lean-to on the north side. The ground floor has 2 rooms with 2 doorways on the north side, and the upper floor is a single room.
According to Chizu Town, it first stood elsewhere on the site and was moved to its present position in about 1955. The door fittings carry the crest of the Kokumai family, the local ōjōya or head village officials who owned the plot before the Yonehara family, a sword-and-wood-sorrel design, so the storehouse is thought to predate the change of ownership. That makes it the oldest of the four registered structures.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape, singling out the high quality of its plasterwork.
What to Look For
The walls are the reason to look closely. They are finished in Shikkui lime plaster, and the lower walls of the ground floor and the band above the lean-to are done as Namako-kabe, tiles set into the plaster with the joints between them raised into a sharp ridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Because the joints stand up rather than lying flat, the grid catches the light and reads crisply.
The Kokumai crest on the door fittings is the clue that dates the building to the years before the Yonehara family arrived (Chizu Town).
Visiting
The Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse stands at the back of the plot, and it is not confirmed how much of it can be seen from the street. No official information was found on interior access or photography.
Q&A
- When was the Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In the mid-Meiji period, 1883 to 1897, and it was moved within the site in about 1955 (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Chizu Town).
- What should I look for on the Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse?
- The namako-kabe tiled walls, with joints raised into a sharp ridge.
- Why is the Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse thought to predate the Yonehara family?
- Its door fittings carry the crest of the previous owners, the Kokumai family (Chizu Town).
- Can I visit the Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse?
- It stands at the back of the plot, and no official information on public access was found.
- When was the Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- On December 19, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse (米原家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 546 and other lots, Chizu, Chizu Town, Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/12/19 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 69 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Exterior only (no official opening information) |
References
- Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010343
- Yonehara Family Residence Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/274346
- Chizu Town cultural property map: Yonehara Family Residence (Chizu Town, Japanese)
- https://stroly.com/maps/1610427898?lang=ja
Last verified: 2026.10.19
