Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse

Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse: A Vault for Homemade Miso

A small early-Meiji earthen storehouse behind the Fujiu main house in Kiryu, Gunma, likely for homemade miso, set on river cobbles with white plaster walls. Private.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse: A Small Vault Behind the House

The Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse (藤生家住宅味噌蔵, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Misogura) is a single-story earthen-walled storehouse of the early Meiji era behind the main house, toward the east, at the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

As its name suggests, it was most likely where the household kept its homemade miso, the fermented soybean paste at the heart of Japanese cooking. The miso storehouse is small, 2.5 by 1.5 ken with a building area of 12 square meters, and runs east and west under a separate gabled okiyane roof of pantiles.

Built on River Cobbles

The Fujiu Miso Storehouse rests on a foundation of rounded river cobbles. Its clay walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster, and the lower part is sheathed in clapboard held by vertical battens.

The door, a sliding one, is set a little east of center on the south wall. Just to the south is the east well that supplied drinking water; to the west stand the bathhouse and then the inner storehouse. Water and food storage are gathered in one working corner behind the main house.

Why the Miso Storehouse Was Registered

The Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its part in shaping the view at the back of the property.

If the front gate and the white storehouse form the public face of the estate, the miso storehouse belongs to its kitchen side. Making and keeping miso at home was common in rural Japan, but giving it a dedicated fireproof building says something about the scale of the Fujiu household.

Visiting the Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse

The Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse lies behind the main house on the north, and there is little chance of seeing it from the road. The interior is not open.

The Fujiu estate is a private home; please stay on the public road.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse; [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]

Q&A

QWhat was the Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse used for?: AAs its name indicates, it most likely stored the miso the household made itself. It stands behind the main house, close to the well and the bathhouse.

QHow big is the Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse?: AIt is a single-story earthen-walled storehouse 2.5 by 1.5 ken, with a building area of 12 square meters.

QHow are the walls of the Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse finished?: AThey are white lime plaster with clapboard held by battens around the base, and the building sits on a foundation of river cobbles.

QWhen was the Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse built?: AIt dates to the early Meiji era and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.

QCan I see the Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse from the road?: AHardly at all. It sits north of the main house, deep inside the grounds, and the interior is not open.

Basic Information

Name	Fujiu Family Residence Miso Storehouse
Location	5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0217)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 12 square meters; 2.5 by 1.5 ken
Owner	Private owner
Public Access	Not open to the public (private residence)