What the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse is
The Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse (旧甲斐家住宅醤油蔵, Kyū Kai-ke Jūtaku Shōyugura) is a single-story Dozo-zukuri brewing storehouse built in 1923 in Aza Itchome, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
It was built for making and storing soy sauce. At 281 square meters it is the largest of the estate's earthen storehouses. It stands at the back of the garden north of the shop storehouse, touching the storehouse parlor on its west side, under a pantiled roof (Sangawara-buki) with a tall brick chimney rising at the southwest corner.
The Kai family brewed sake in the Edo period, but the fourth Kai Kichigorō gave up silk and sake and began making miso and soy sauce under the trade name Fundō Kai. The Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse was the core of that business, set back to back with the family's living quarters.
Why it was registered
It was registered as a building that is "difficult to reproduce." The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises it as a large storehouse built with care inside and out and well preserved, and notes that at the time of registration it served as a small museum.
Brewing storehouses need thick earthen walls to keep temperature and humidity steady. Enclosing 281 square meters on a single floor in that way demands a great deal of work on both the walls and the roof frame, and the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse has kept that scale with its Taishō-era finish intact.
It was registered on October 12, 2001, the same day as the shop storehouse.
What to look for
The landmark is the brick chimney at the southwest corner. Soy sauce making involves steaming soybeans and heating water, so a hearth inside the storehouse presumably vented its smoke through the tall stack.
The storehouse does not stand alone. On the west it meets the storehouse parlor, and on the east a covered walkway under a lean-to roof (Geya) links it to the miso and koji storehouse to the south. The agency describes the rear gate and the miso and soy sauce storehouses together as forming the back of the estate. That a working brewery sat directly behind the guest rooms says a lot about how a brewing family lived.
Visiting the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse
The Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse lies inside the compound and cannot be seen whole from the street. The estate has been closed since April 2023 for conservation work, and in 2025 this storehouse was structurally reinforced along with the shop storehouse and the parlor.
The interior can be seen only at the special openings held about once a year during the works; the next is planned for March 2027. The VR footage recorded during the repairs, on the Kitakata City website, shows the storehouse structure as the reinforcement goes in. Directions and the repair schedule are on the Former Kai Family Residence page.
Q&A
- What was the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse used for?
- Making and storing soy sauce. The Kai family brewed miso and soy sauce under the trade name Fundō Kai from the time of the fourth Kichigorō.
- How big is the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse?
- It is a single-story earthen storehouse with a building area of 281 square meters, the largest storehouse on the estate.
- What is the chimney on the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse for?
- The brick chimney at the southwest corner presumably vented smoke from fires used in brewing. The Agency for Cultural Affairs mentions it as a tall brick stack.
- Can I go inside the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce 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.
- When was the Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse registered?
- On October 12, 2001, the same day as the shop storehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | Aza 1-4611, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2001 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, single story, tiled roof, building area 281 m² |
| Owner | Kitakata City |
| Public Access | Closed since 2023 for conservation work planned through fiscal 2030; interior open only at special openings |
References
- Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002352
- Former Kai Family Residence Soy Sauce Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/167662
- Former Kai Family Residence Miso and Koji Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs database)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013931
- 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
- VR videos of the Former Kai Family Kura Residence (Kitakata City)
- https://www.city.kitakata.fukushima.jp/site/kyukaike/49341.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
