What the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse Is
The Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse (中野家住宅内蔵, Nakano-ke Jūtaku Uchigura) is a mid-Meiji storehouse in Shimoichi, Heki-kami, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji period, 1883 to 1897, and records a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 34 square metres. It adjoins the north side of the shop and main house.
An uchigura, literally "inner storehouse", is one tied directly into the house, and this one is linked to the main house by a corridor. According to Yamaguchi Prefecture it held the family's kimono stock and household goods.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency credits its heavy, solid exterior with shaping the view across the middle of the property.
For a kimono merchant, bolts of silk were precious stock, vulnerable to damp and fire. Setting the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse right behind the shop and joining the two with a corridor kept storage and sales in one secure sequence.
What to Look For
The gabled roof is laid Hirairi, with the ridge running north to south, and the walls are plastered in Shikkui right up into the soffits of the eaves, the standard way of stopping fire from creeping in under the roof.
Two windows open on the upper floor of the east side, each with its own small canopy. The door is toward the south end of the east side, where the corridor leads into the house. Inside, each floor is a single plank-floored room.
Visiting
The Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse stands inside a privately owned compound and is not open; as of September 2026 no openings had been announced. It sits behind the house in the middle of the property, so little of it can be seen from the road. 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 Inner Storehouse
- [ Kintaikyo Bridge & Hagi Castle Town Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897). It was registered on March 6, 2024.
- What was stored in the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- According to Yamaguchi Prefecture, the family's kimono stock and household goods.
- Why was the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape; its fully plastered exterior anchors the view across the middle of the compound.
- How is the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse connected to the house?
- A door toward the south end of its east side opens onto a corridor leading into the shop and main house.
- Can I see the Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse?
- It is inside a private compound and not open to the public, and it is largely hidden from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakano Family Residence Inner 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. 35-0113 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 34 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 Inner Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014951
- Yamaguchi Prefecture Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Inner Storehouse
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=110237
Last verified: 2026.09.24
