What the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse is
The Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse (旧甲斐家住宅味噌蔵及び麹蔵, Kyū Kai-ke Jūtaku Misogura oyobi Kōjigura) is an earthen brewing storehouse of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912) in Aza Itchome, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2021.
It joins a 2-story miso store and a single-story room for growing kōji, the rice mold that starts miso and soy sauce fermentation. The two share posts and walls and are registered as 1 building with a combined area of 105 square meters, under a gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of pantiles. It fills the southwest corner of the estate just south of the rear gate and forms part of the outer edge of the compound.
Of the ten listings, it is the only one older than the great Taishō rebuilding. Family history says the third Kai Kichigorō prospered as a kōji maker and the fourth began brewing miso and soy sauce, so the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse dates from the years when the business was changing hands and direction.
Why it was registered
It was registered as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the pairing of a many-windowed 2-story miso store with a single-story koji room that has few windows and a raised ventilating roof (Koshi-yane), and to the Western-style detailing around the windows.
The difference in windows follows the work inside. Kōji needs steady warmth and moisture, so openings are kept few and the raised roof lets heat and steam escape. The miso store, taller and more open, reads as built for storage and handling. Within one shell, the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse sets up two sets of conditions for two stages of brewing.
What to look for
From outside, follow the roofline: the raised ventilator on the low koji room and the step up to the 2-story miso store give the building its profile.
The window surrounds carry Western-style ornament, an early hint of the mixed Japanese and Western design later used on the shop storehouse. A lean-to (Geya) on the east side leads to a covered walkway connecting north to the soy sauce storehouse. In front of the koji room, the south wall opens in a triangular-arched doorway, so wall and storehouse together frame the southwest corner.
Visiting the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse
The Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse sits on the southwest corner, along the street to the west and the lane to the south. The agency's registration photo shows the west face of the koji room, and that side can be seen from the road during the closure, though scaffolding or sheeting may cover it at some stages.
The estate has been closed since April 2023 for conservation work, and the interior is not open. Special openings are held about once a year, with the next planned for March 2027, but what is shown depends on the progress of work. Directions and the repair schedule are on the Former Kai Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse built?
- In the late Meiji period, between 1898 and 1912. It is the oldest of the ten listings and predates the Taishō rebuilding of the estate.
- Is the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse one building or two?
- Two storehouses, one for miso and one for kōji, share posts and walls and are registered as 1 building of 105 square meters.
- What is the raised roof on the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse for?
- The ventilator on the koji room presumably let heat and moisture escape while the rice mold was being grown.
- Can I see the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse from outside?
- Yes. It faces the street to the west and a lane to the south, so the exterior is visible from the road, though work may cover parts of it at times.
- Can I go inside the Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse?
- Not normally. The estate has been closed since April 2023 for conservation work. Special openings are held about once a year, with the next planned for March 2027.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 4611-1 Aza Itchome, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 stories, tiled roof, building area 105 m² |
| Owner | Kitakata City |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the road; closed since 2023 for conservation work planned through fiscal 2030 |
References
- Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013931
- Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/544471
- Former Kai Family Residence South Wall (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013936
- What is the Former Kai Family Kura Residence (Kitakata City)
- https://www.city.kitakata.fukushima.jp/site/kyukaike/57980.html
- Conservation work on the Former Kai Family Kura Residence (Kitakata City)
- https://www.city.kitakata.fukushima.jp/site/kyukaike/57982.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
