Kura (storehouse)

They are commonly durable buildings built from timber, stone or clay used to safely store valuable commodities.

Early religious kura were built in a "log cabin" style, whilst those used later to store gunpowder were constructed from stone.

Earthen kura, dozō have evolved a particular set of construction techniques in order to make them relatively fireproof.

The first kura appear during the Yayoi period (300 BC – 300 AD) and they evolved into takakura (literally tall storehouse) that were built on columns raised from the ground and reached via a ladder from underneath.

[6] In addition, many families possessed a wide array of accoutrements required for Japan's cultural festivals and these needed to be stored somewhere safe when not in use.

[7] The traditional houses were built of timber and prone to destruction by fire, so a more durable solution was required to store precious items.

Azekura (校倉, literally intersecting storehouse) have descended in style from the Yayoi period when triangular section logs were used for building.

Eventually this raised log structure gained a religious significance, and the style of domestic kura moved elsewhere.

The former were primarily built in the Edo period and used for storing firearms and ammunition, such as the one in Osaka Castle which has walls 1.9m thick.

[16] Earthen dozō (土蔵) kura are a common sight in Japan,[17] and the basic form is normally seen with only minor variations.

[18] Personal belongings kept in this type of kura tended to be kept in beautifully crafted wooden chests called tansu that would be located on a raised floor or balcony within.

[20] Most traditional earthen kura have a wooden frame base onto which bamboo lathing and palm fibre was affixed.

These were commonly covered first in bamboo lath followed by several applications of clay applied in a complex and laborious process.

Although the application of the clay helps to make the kura fireproof, it is prone to damage both from physical sources and from rain.

[27] Windows were often situated high up in the kura and were frequently left open to provide ventilation, although there were often iron bar grilles to prevent theft.

[30] Kura in Kurashiki, Okayama, normally have tiles on the lower part of the external wall laid horizontally rather than diagonally.