The Storehouse That Faces the Street
The Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse (山﨑家住宅南蔵, Yamasaki-ke Jūtaku Minamigura) is an earthen storehouse built in the late Taishō period (1919 to 1926) in the southeast corner of the Yamasaki family estate in Kokawa, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021. Walk up from JR Kokawa Station and it is the building you see first, its roof rising above the brick wall.
The main house sits in the middle of the lot and a larger storehouse at the back; the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse takes the street corner. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse the central element of the view from the south.
Tall, Gabled and Clad in Timber
The Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse is a two-storey dozo storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of just 36 square meters, against 124 square meters for the north storehouse. It feels bigger than the numbers suggest because it is built tall. The ridge runs north to south under a gabled roof of heavy hongawara tiles, the old pairing of flat and round tiles.
The walls are clad in vertical boards, with only the hachimaki, the plaster band under the eaves, finished in white Shikkui. A dark timber body with a single white stripe along the top: from a distance, the outline reads crisply.
The entrance is in the middle of the west side. Stone steps lead up to a doorway fitted with a sliding fireproof earthen door, sheltered by a small canopy of lighter pan tiles. The main roof in heavy hongawara, the canopy in pan tile: two kinds of tiling on one small building. In the roof space, rough unfinished beams carry short struts that support the ridge and purlins.
Why It Was Registered
The Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse was registered on February 4, 2021 (registration no. 30-0296) under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation, on the same day as the main house, north storehouse and wall.
Wakayama Prefecture describes it as a solid, imposing storehouse whose height makes it the keystone of the estate's streetscape. Because the main house sits back in the middle of the lot, the estate's public face is set by two things: the brick wall and this storehouse rising above it. The prefecture's praise for the well-kept Taishō layout of the estate depends on that street-side view.
Where to Stand
Take the national database at its word and look from the south. From the street in front of the station, the gabled hongawara roof, the board walls and the white hachimaki stack up above the brick wall.
The west side, with the doorway, faces into the grounds, so the stone steps, earthen door and canopy can only be seen up close from inside the estate. The contrast between the heavy main roof and the lighter canopy tiles is clearest when you look up at the west side at an angle.
Seeing the South Storehouse
There is no notice of the interior of the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse being opened. The exterior can be seen over the wall from the street on the south side at any time, and the roof and upper walls read clearly from there.
The west doorway can be seen up close only on days when the café in the main house is open and the grounds are accessible; ask the staff before approaching or photographing it. Directions are on the Yamasaki Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse built?
- In the late Taishō period, between 1919 and 1926. It was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on February 4, 2021.
- What makes the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse distinctive?
- It is a tall two-storey earthen storehouse of 36 square meters with a gabled roof of hongawara tiles, board-clad walls and a white plaster band under the eaves.
- Where can I see the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse from?
- From the street on the south side, over the brick wall. It stands in the southeast corner of the estate.
- Can I go inside the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse?
- There is no public opening of the interior. The exterior is visible from the street, and on café days the staff may let you view the west doorway more closely.
- What kind of cultural property is the Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse?
- It was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on February 4, 2021, as registration no. 30-0296. The main house, north storehouse and wall on the same estate were registered the same day.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse (山﨑家住宅南蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 853-3 Kokawa, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/2/4 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 36 square meters |
| Owner | Private (individual) |
| Public Access | Interior not open (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Yamasaki Family Residence South Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013626
- Wakayama Cultural Heritage portal (Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education): Yamasaki Family Residence
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-spot-1002/
Last verified: 2026.09.24
