Kura: Japanese Traditional Warehouses in Shizuoka Prefecture 5: Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City with Atsuko Kurata!

Hongou-cho1本郷町

Beautiful Kura in Hongo Cho!

“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.

This posting features sights by My good friend, Mrs. Atsuko Kurata who found them in her native Shimizu Ku in Shizuoka City!
Incidentally Atsuko’s family name includes the word Kura/倉, the modern form of kura/蔵!

Hongo-cho2本郷町

Another picture of the above kura in Hongo Cho which is big and seems inhabited or used!

Sodeshi-袖師

Some kuras like the above may be seen only for far away them being completely isolated by surrounding buildings!

tip-of-kura

The roof tip of another one!

蔵っぽい1

This particular one has definitely become an abode!

behind-SEIYU1

This one is located behind Seiyu Department Store!

behind-SEIYU2

A closer view of the same protected by a barbed-wired wall!

石積みの蔵1

This one is old, tall and so solid!
It certainly deserves a few more photographs as seenn below:

石積みの蔵2

The side wall actually shows traces of another building which has disappeared a long time ago!

石積みの蔵-窓1

The window shutter is kept open so it is definitely still used!

石積みの蔵-窓2

Caught in the sun it does not look as forbidding as the side wall!

石積みの蔵-窓3

Note the light which has been added!
It could be interesting to see what it looks like at night!

石積みの蔵-窓4

It is located in Yamazaki and apparently belongs to a building company!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
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

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