What Is the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse?
The Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse (瀬戸家住宅文庫蔵, Seto-ke Jūtaku Bunkogura) is a two-storey earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri storehouse on the Seto family estate in Fujii, Fujita-cho, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture; it was built in the late Taisho period (1919 to 1926) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2018. At 13 square meters, it is the smallest of the seven registered buildings on the estate.
It stands behind the main house, roughly midway along the north side of the lot, with the former maid's room and bathhouse to the east and the grain storehouse to the west. A bunkogura is a storehouse for books, account ledgers and family records.
A Small Storehouse, Fully Dressed
The Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse has a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof with its ridge running north to south, so it presents its gable end to the north street, unlike the grain storehouse beside it, whose ridge runs east to west. The roof is laid in Hongawarabuki, the heavier style that alternates round and flat tiles.
The door opens on the east side under a small Hisashi canopy. The walls are Shikkui plaster over a skirting of vertical boards, and a thick band of plaster called a Hachimaki wraps the top of the walls under the eaves, protecting the timber there from fire.
The footprint is only about 4 tsubo, roughly the area of eight tatami mats. Even so, it was given the same full-tile roof and plaster band as the larger storehouses beside it, which keeps the line of buildings along the north street consistent.
Boarded Interior and Raking Beams
On both floors the inside walls are lined with vertical boards. This is the standard storehouse finish: contents never touch the earthen wall, which keeps them away from damp and abrasion.
The roof is carried on Nobori-bari, beams that rise at an angle toward the ridge instead of lying flat, which gives the upper floor more headroom. The grain storehouse next door uses the same system.
The Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse was registered under number 30-0241 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it faces the road behind the estate and helps form the back of the property.
Visiting the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse
The Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse is privately owned and its interior is closed.
It stands directly on the north street, so its tiled roof and white walls can be seen from the road. Squeezed between the service building and the grain storehouse, it is easy to pick out as the smallest in the row. Please view it from the public street and do not enter the property.
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Q&A
- What is the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse?
- A two-storey earthen-walled storehouse with a gabled, fully tiled roof, used for keeping documents. At 13 square meters it is the smallest of the seven registered Seto family buildings.
- When was the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse built?
- In the late Taisho period, between 1919 and 1926.
- What does the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse look like?
- White plaster walls over a skirting of vertical boards, a thick plaster band under the eaves and a small canopy over the east door. The ridge runs north to south, with the gable end facing the street.
- When did the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 2 November 2018, as registration number 30-0241, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, but it stands on the north street and its exterior can be seen from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse (瀬戸家住宅文庫蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2215 Fujii, Fujita-cho, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 30-0241 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2 November 2018 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 13 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed to the public (exterior visible from the north street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012603
- Cultural Heritage Online: Seto Family Residence Document Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/379987
- Seto Family Residence (Gobo City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.gobo.lg.jp/sosiki/kyoikuiin/kyoiku/tanto/bunnkazai/shinobunkazai/kenzoubutu/1559723929300.html
- Seto Family Residence (Wakayama Cultural Heritage portal, Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, in Japanese)
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-spot-996/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
