A Household Storehouse, Not a Brewing One
The Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse (宮醤油店奥蔵, Miya Shōyu-ten Okugura) is an earthen storehouse built in 1919 at a soy sauce brewery in Sanuki, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2007.
It stands west of the Main House. The two-storey Dozo-zukuri building measures 3 by 2 and a half bays, with a building area of 24 square metres, under a gabled pantile roof on traditional Wagoya framing, and is clad in Shitami-itabari clapboard. It is the smallest of the nine registered buildings.
Why It Was Registered
The Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse was registered on 31 July 2007 as number 12-0081, for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits its weighty exterior with shaping the western edge of the property.
Although it stands among brewing storehouses, it has never been one. It was built as an uchigura, an inner storehouse attached to the living quarters, for the Miya family's household goods: furniture, bedding, clothing and utensils kept close to the home rather than with the stock.
What to Look For
The detail the Agency picks out is a grid of ventilation holes in the upper floor. Air could pass between the two storeys through the floorboards, keeping stored belongings from damp. It is a small, invisible provision made purely to protect the family's possessions.
The Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse is also entered from the gable end (Tsumairi), unlike most of the storehouses here, which open on the long side. Small as it is, it presents its triangular gable as its front.
Visiting
The Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse is private: it belongs to the family's living quarters and is not open to the public, inside or out. When visiting the shop, please keep clear of the residential part of the property. Standing west of the Main House deep inside the property, little of it is visible from outside.
Q&A
- Can you visit the Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse?
- No. The Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse belongs to the family's living quarters and is not open to the public. The adjoining shop is open during business hours.
- When was the Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse built?
- In 1919.
- What was the Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse used for?
- Not for brewing but for storing the family's household goods. A grid of ventilation holes in the upper floor helped keep the contents dry.
- What kind of cultural property is the Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse?
- It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registered on 31 July 2007 as number 12-0081.
- Where on the property is the Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse?
- West of the Main House, forming part of the western edge of the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Miya Soy Sauce Store Rear Storehouse (宮醤油店奥蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 247 Nishimasaishi, Sanuki, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/7/31 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 3 by 2 and a half bays; building area 24 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (part of the residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Miya Shōyu-ten Okugura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006516
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Miya Shōyu-ten Tenpo and Other Buildings
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-074.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
