What the Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse Is
The Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse (中野家住宅米蔵, Nakano-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is a mid-Meiji single-storey 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 single-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 52 square metres.
It stands midway along the western edge of the property, north of the grain storehouse, under a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof laid Hirairi in Sangawara-buki pantiles, with the ridge running north to south.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape; the Agency notes that together with the clothing storehouse beside it, it shapes the northwest corner of the compound.
Most of the storehouses here have two storeys. The Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse is low and long, giving the west side of the property a calmer profile. Keeping both a grain store and a rice store is itself notable for a merchant household.
What to Look For
The walls are plastered in Shikkui right up to the eaves. On the east side there are two doorways, each reached by stone steps and sheltered by its own small canopy.
A window opens in the middle of both the east and west walls. Inside is a single plank-floored room with vertical board lining on the walls.
Just north stands the clothing storehouse, with the same pair of stepped, canopied doors on its east side. The matching fronts show that the row of storehouses was laid out as a set.
Visiting
The Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse is inside a privately owned compound and is not open; as of September 2026 no openings had been announced. It stands on the west side of the property, 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 Rice Storehouse
- [ Kintaikyo Bridge & Hagi Castle Town Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji period (1883 to 1897). It was registered on March 6, 2024.
- How big is the Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey storehouse with a building area of 52 square metres.
- Why was the Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, forming the northwest corner of the compound together with the clothing storehouse.
- What is distinctive about the doors of the Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- There are two doors on the east side, each with stone steps and a small canopy, matching those of the clothing storehouse next door.
- Can I see the Nakano Family Residence Rice 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 Rice 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. 35-0117 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 52 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 Rice Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014955
- Yamaguchi Prefecture Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Rice Storehouse
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=110241
Last verified: 2026.09.24
