“Kura” (in japanese 蔵 or 倉) means “warehouse” or “Storehouse”.
In traditonal 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.

I discovered this small kura on my way from Okitsu JR Station to Seikenji Temple in Okitsu, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

With farmers around this old small kura partly invaded by ivy is probably used as shed!

Actually considering the big property where it sits, it might be oned by a nearby temple!

Interestingly enough, although I cycle past at least 4 times a day I never noticed this big kura along the Kitakaido Street in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!

A friend of mine had to remind me of its existence!
It is located behind a tall building with a large soba/buckwheat noodles restaurant on the ground floor.
You still have to turn into a narrow street to find it behind the restaurant building!

It is extremely well preserved. The walls are regularly repainted and the steel support protected from the rust!

Splendid side/end window!
Usually kuras have windows on one facade and another one at one extremity!

This one has another door through the back facade and a kind of wooden awning which could have been used to hang drying fruit or vegetables under a long time ago!

The front facades windows are absolutely splendid especially when they are kept open!

Note the “hooks” in their middle to pull them shut and the heavily barred window!
I very much doubt that a thief would be able to break in, even now!

The same friend told me that there should still be a lot of more kuras in the country along the Kano River in Numazu City as people in old times used to take refuge into them during floods!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City