Kura: Japanese Traditional Warehouse in Akihabara, Tokyo, by Patricia Yarrow!

“Kura” (in Japanese 蔵 or 倉) means “warehouse” or “Storehouse”.
In traditional Japan, especially during the Edo Era, as most of buildings and urba/village structures were made of wood, fires were the bane of society by and large.
However well-protected a fire would consume a house or buildings and all its properties within minutes.
Hence a special building or warehouse was needed to protect goods and properties against such a catastrophe.
But erecting a storehouse solely made of concrete, stones and some metal cost a vast amount of silver and gold and only rich merchants and nobility could afford them. Even castles could not be built entirely of stone then.

My good Tokyo friend, Patrica Yarrow, who regularly visits Shizuoka, is also a fine of old houses and architecture in Japan.
She has just sent me this photo of a grand old kura in Akihabara,Tokyo!

For all the black patina the walls and windows seem still very sound indeed!

The roof and rain water piping are not that old, so the place is definitely still being used.
Note the grand contrast with the white building background!

Patricia’s comments:

“Here is a photo of a fine old brick kura in Akihabara, just a stone’s throw from the highway and super-modern Yodobashi flagship store.
It must have quite a story to tell, but for now it is providing protected space for vending machines and gomi/rubbish…”

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