What the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse Is
The Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse (中野家住宅衣装蔵, Nakano-ke Jūtaku Ishōgura) is a storehouse built in 1891 in Shimoichi, Heki-kami, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives its date as Meiji 24, that is 1891, and records a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 46 square metres. According to Yamaguchi Prefecture, the year comes from an ink inscription on a wooden tag on the upper floor.
It stands toward the north end of the western edge of the property, next to the rice storehouse, under a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof laid Hirairi in Sangawara-buki pantiles.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape; the Agency notes that together with the rice storehouse it forms the northwest corner of the compound.
Most buildings here are dated only to a span such as mid-Meiji or late Taisho. The inscription makes the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse the one firmly dated building, a fixed point for working out when the row of storehouses took shape.
The name ishogura, clothing store, suggests a place for the family's own garments and furnishings, separate from the trade stock kept in the inner storehouse.
What to Look For
The walls are plastered in Shikkui up to the eaves, with a line of mizukiri-gawara, small tiled drip ledges, running round the lower wall to throw off rainwater. That dark line across white plaster is one of the most attractive details of the building.
On the east side, two doorways with stone steps each have their own canopy, matching the rice storehouse next door so that the two fronts read as a pair.
Accounts of the interior differ. The Agency describes a single plank-floored room on each floor with a central staircase, while Yamaguchi Prefecture describes a single earth-floored room below and two rooms above.
Visiting
The Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse is inside a privately owned compound and is not open; as of September 2026 no openings had been announced. It stands near the northwest corner, largely out of view from the road, so please do not enter the grounds. The layout of the compound, past openings and directions from Nagato-Furuichi Station are on the Nakano Family Residence (Heki, Nagato) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamaguchi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse
- [ Kintaikyo Bridge & Hagi Castle Town Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse built?
- In 1891 (Meiji 24). The date comes from an ink inscription on a wooden tag on the upper floor.
- Why was the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, forming the northwest corner of the compound together with the rice storehouse.
- What is distinctive about the walls of the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse?
- They are plastered up to the eaves, with a line of tiled drip ledges round the lower wall and two stepped, canopied doors on the east side.
- How big is the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey storehouse with a building area of 46 square metres.
- Can I see the Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse?
- It is inside a private compound and not open to the public; little of it is visible from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 6057 Shimoichi, Heki-kami, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/3/6 (Reiwa 6), registration no. 35-0118 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 46 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (privately owned) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014956
- Yamaguchi Prefecture Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Clothing Storehouse
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=110242
Last verified: 2026.09.24
