Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Chiba

Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse

Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse, Early Meiji

An early-Meiji storehouse for festival gear beside Kotohira Shrine, household shrine of a Noda soy brewing family, with an earthen floor. Visible on the 10th monthly

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Chiba

A Store for Festival Gear

The Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平蔵, Kotohira-gura) in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse of the early Meiji era standing west of the main hall of Kotohira Shrine, the household shrine of the Mogi Shichiroemon soy sauce brewers, and it was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018. It covers 60 square metres under a tiled roof.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a store for equipment used at festivals. If the Hongura and Okubunko on the residential side guarded the family's wealth, the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse served the shrine's ceremonies. The Agency dates it to early Meiji, with a range of 1868 to 1882.

A Big Storehouse Among Small Shrines

It measures 7 and a half by 3 Ken bays. The Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof is laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles, and a lean-to Geya on the south side shelters two doorways. The Agency calls it a large storehouse, and next to shrine buildings that measure from a few square metres to a little over ten, its 60 square metres make it the biggest mass in the precinct.

The walls are plastered, and high on the south face are two windows with small hoods. The doorways take pairs of plaster-coated Tsuchido doors. Setting the windows high lets in light and air while keeping them out of reach of intruders and sparks at ground level.

Earth Floor and Rub Rails

Inside, the floor is bare earth, and the walls are lined with nizurigi, horizontal timber rails fixed so that stacked goods do not scrape the plaster. They suggest a building where heavy festival gear and boxes were constantly carried in and out.

The estate's 18 registrations are numbered consecutively, and this storehouse's number, 12-270, is the last. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency describes it as a large storehouse that adds to the historic character of the site.

Visiting

The interior is closed. The storehouse stands west of the shrine's main hall and can be seen from the precinct on the 10th of every month, when Kotohira Shrine opens for public worship. Look for the two doorways under the lean-to and the hooded high windows above them; turning to the plain storehouse walls after studying the carvings on the main hall makes a telling contrast.

No published guidance was found on opening hours or photography, so follow any notices on the day. Directions are on the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence page.

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Q&A

QCan I see the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse?: AThe interior is closed. It stands west of the main hall of Kotohira Shrine, and its exterior can be seen from the precinct on the 10th of every month when the shrine opens.

QWhat was kept in the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse?: AAccording to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, festival equipment and similar items. Timber rails line the inner walls to protect the plaster from stacked goods.

QWhen was the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse built?: AIn the early Meiji era; the Agency gives 1868 to 1882.

QHow big is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse?: AIt measures 7 and a half by 3 bays, with a building area of 60 square metres, making it the largest building in the shrine precinct.

QWhere is the Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse in the precinct?: AWest of the Kotohira Shrine main hall, with a lean-to and two doorways on its south side.

Basic Information

Name	Mogi Shichiroemon Family Residence Kotohira Storehouse (茂木七郎右衛門家住宅琴平蔵)
Location	339 Aza Higashinakamachi and others, Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 12-270, criterion: contributing to the historic landscape
Year Designated	Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Single-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, building area 60 square metres, 7 and a half by 3 bays
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Interior closed. Exterior visible from the precinct on the shrine's open day (10th of each month)