A Storehouse That Came from Another Family
The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅奥文庫蔵, Oku-bunko-gura) in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse of the late Edo period that was moved onto the estate of the Mogi Shichiroemon soy sauce brewers in 1892, and it was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018. It covers 23 square metres and was renovated in 2010.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, tradition holds that it came from the household of Takanashi Shūzō. The Takanashi were, with the Mogi, one of the brewing clans of Noda. The storehouse was built somewhere else in the late Edo period (the Agency gives 1751 to 1830) and moved here in 1892, which is why the Agency describes it as a building that records how the property changed over time.
The Year 1892
Once you notice the date of the move, it keeps turning up. The brick wall that joins the Shingura to the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse in an L is dated to around 1892, and the water pavilion at Kotohira Shrine was moved in 1892 as well. No source consulted says the move and the wall were one project, but the registration records do show work in the northwest of the house and in the shrine precinct in the same year.
The storehouse now stands behind the Shin-zashiki wing. The brick wall runs east from it along the northern boundary, so this small building holds one corner of the estate's northern defences. The words 'with wall' in its registration mean the wall attached to it is included.
How the Building Is Made
At 6.4 metres by 3.6 metres, it is one of the smaller storehouses on the estate. It runs east to west, with its door in the east gable, and each floor is a single room.
The walls are finished in two tones of Shikkui plaster, black on the lower band and white above, and the plaster is carried right up over the eaves. Sealing every piece of timber under plaster was the standard way to stop sparks catching at the eaves, and the black-and-white division gives the building a crisp outline even at a distance.
The name reads as the storehouse of the oku (rear) bunko, a store for books and documents, though no primary source consulted states what it actually held. Its registration number is 12-259, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Visiting
The storehouse is inside a private residence, and neither its interior nor its exterior can be visited. The brick wall running east from it marks the northern edge of the property, but whether the storehouse itself can be seen from outside has not been confirmed. Kotohira Shrine next door opens on the 10th of every month, but the storehouse is not part of that visit.
Directions to the estate are on the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- Can I visit the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse?
- No. It stands inside a private residence and neither its interior nor its exterior is open to the public.
- Where did the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse come from?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it is said to have been moved from the household of Takanashi Shūzō. The move took place in 1892.
- How old is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse?
- It dates from the late Edo period; the Agency gives 1751 to 1830. It was renovated in 2010.
- What does the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse look like?
- Its walls are plastered black on the lower band and white above, sealed right up over the eaves. It is a two-storey building measuring 6.4 metres by 3.6 metres.
- Where on the estate is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse?
- Behind the Shin-zashiki wing. The brick wall links it to the Shingura and runs east from it along the northern boundary.
Basic Information
| Name | Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Okubunko Storehouse (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅奥文庫蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 339 Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 12-259, criterion: contributing to the historic landscape |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 23 square metres, with wall; 6.4 metres by 3.6 metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence; grounds and interior closed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 茂木七郎右衛門家住宅奥文庫蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012114
- Cultural Heritage Online: 茂木七郎右衛門家住宅奥文庫蔵 (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/431833
- Chiba Prefecture: Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Main House and Others (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-103.html
- Noda City: Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.noda.chiba.jp/kurashi/kyoiku/bunka/1000585/1017161.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
