A Small Timber Storehouse of 1895
The Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse (太田家住宅味噌蔵) is a timber miso storehouse of 1895 in Shidazawa, Haramachi Ward, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 2, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In Japanese it is written 太田家住宅味噌蔵 and read Ōta-ke jūtaku misogura.
The Agency records a timber building of 2 storeys roofed in sheet metal, with a building area of 16 square metres; registration number 07-0200.
The Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse stands behind the main house, side by side with the tool storehouse, facing south. The tool storehouse of the same year has clay walls, but this one is built of timber (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A Small Gable-Entry Building
The Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse is a two-storey building 3 ken by 2 ken, with a gabled roof and its entrance on the gable end (Tsumairi) (Agency for Cultural Affairs). At 16 square metres it is the smallest of the four buildings.
The lower part of the outer walls is clad in overlapping horizontal boards (Shitami-itabari), and the window in the south gable has moulded frames above and below (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency sees in it a glimpse of daily life in a well-to-do farming household.
It is tiny beside the main house and the rice storehouse, yet it was registered on the same day as the other three, as one of the working buildings that kept the household running.
What to Look For
Inside the Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse, the ground floor has an earthen floor (Doma) and the upper floor is boarded; the roof is framed with Nobori-bari, sloping beams. There is no staircase. Instead, an opening in the middle of the upper floor is used to hoist goods up and down (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
That hatch, and the moulded frame around the south gable window, show the care taken over a very small building.
Visiting
The Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse stands behind the main house on private property and is not open to the public; whether it is visible from the road has not been confirmed. Directions are on the Ota Family Residence (Minamisoma) page.
Q&A
- When was the Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse built?
- In 1895, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- How is the Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse built?
- It is a timber building of 2 storeys, gable-ended with the entrance on the gable side, roofed in sheet metal, 3 ken by 2 ken, with a building area of 16 square metres.
- How do you reach the upper floor of the Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- There is no staircase; goods were passed through a hoisting opening in the middle of the upper floor.
- Can I visit the Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- No. It stands on private property and is not open to the public.
- When was the Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse registered?
- On November 2, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse (太田家住宅味噌蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 12 Shidazawa, Haramachi Ward, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/11/02 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 16 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012485
- Ota Family Residence Miso Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/451520
Last verified: 2026.11.02
