About the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse
The Sasano Family Residence Storehouse (笹野家住宅土蔵, Sasano-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a 2-story Dozo-zukuri storehouse built in the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945) in the Shinmachi district of Sono, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2018.
It stands in front of the main house, right on the street. The ridge runs north to south under a simple gable roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) laid with hongawara tiles, and the building area is a modest 24 square meters. According to the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, it was built new together with the main house and the front gate and wall when the estate was laid out at the end of the Taishō era.
By floor area it is the smallest of the four registered Sasano buildings. Its place on the street, though, makes it part of the face the house shows to the town, alongside the gate and wall.
Why the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse was registered
The Sasano Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises its sturdy build and the weighty street frontage it helps create.
The prefectural board describes the storehouse and the front gate and wall as carefully made down to the details. Its view that the estate's dignified frontage adds a great deal to Gobo's historic townscape owes much to how this storehouse looks from the street.
What to look for in the Sasano Storehouse
Start with the two levels of the walls. The ground floor of the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse is Namako-kabe: flat tiles fixed to the wall, with the joints raised in half-round ridges of Shikkui lime plaster to make a lattice pattern. The upper floor is smooth white plaster. Tile and plaster below, plain white above.
Because the ridge runs north to south, the triangular gable ends face north and south. The north gable is the one on the street, and the white gable rising above the tiled lower wall is what passers-by see.
The east side, beside the entrance, has a decorative window. A single-leaf window sits next to a frame made to look like a Todobukuro shutter box, an unusually dressy touch for a storehouse, placed where guests heading for the door would see it.
The doorway on the south side has double iron doors. Storehouse doorways were often closed with thick plastered doors against fire; here they are iron. The south side faces the main house, so the storehouse is entered from inside the grounds.
Visiting the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse
The Sasano Family Residence Storehouse is part of a private home and the interior is not open. Because it stands on the street, though, you can see the outside from the road.
The south side with the iron doors faces into the grounds and probably cannot be seen from the street. If you stop to look, keep out of the way of traffic and limit photos to the exterior from the road. Directions are on the Sasano Family Residence (Gobo) page.
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Q&A
- When was the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse built?
- It dates to the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945). It was built new with the main house when the estate was laid out, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 10, 2018.
- What are the walls of the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse like?
- The ground floor is namako-kabe, with flat tiles set in raised ridges of lime plaster, and the upper floor is finished in white plaster.
- Where is the decorative window on the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse?
- On the east side, beside the entrance. It pairs a single-leaf window with a frame shaped like a shutter box.
- How large is the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a 2-story storehouse with a north-south gable roof of hongawara tiles and a building area of 24 square meters, the smallest of the four registered Sasano buildings.
- Can I visit the Sasano Family Residence Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, but the storehouse stands on the street, so you can see the outside from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Sasano Family Residence Storehouse (笹野家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 731 Shinmachi, Sono, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018-05-10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 24 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Interior closed (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Sasano Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012445
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sasano Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/621779
- Wakayama Cultural Heritage portal (Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education): Sasano Family Residence
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-spot-995/
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Sasano Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012443
Last verified: 2026.10.06
