Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse

Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse: An Early Meiji Landmark

A two-storey early Meiji storehouse on the east front of the Kawabata estate in Fujioka, Gunma, closed and plastered outside, with an open lean-to on the inner side.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

What Is the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse?

The Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse (川端家住宅味噌蔵, Kawabata-ke Jūtaku Misogura) is a two-storey storehouse on the east side of the Kawabata estate in Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, thought to date from the early Meiji period and registered in 2001 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

It stands immediately north of the Head Clerk’s Room, its south gable touching that building. It runs north to south under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles, with a building area of 40 square meters.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it in the early Meiji years, a step earlier than the Villa and the Great Gate. The name suggests it held the household’s miso, the fermented soybean paste made and aged at home.

Why the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse Was Registered

The Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion "contributes to the historic landscape of the country."

The Agency calls it a standout element of the estate’s east front. Amid single-storey neighbors such as the Head Clerk’s Room and the Storage Shed, its extra storey gives the row a rise and fall.

North of the Great Gate, the Head Clerk’s Room, this storehouse and the Storage Shed follow one another almost without a gap, and the Miso Storehouse is the anchor of that line.

Highlights of the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse

The Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse has Shikkui lime-plastered walls, and on the side facing out of the compound the lower band is Shitami-itabari clapboard held by thin battens, the classic storehouse look.

On the inner, west side there is an open lean-to roof carried on posts, with no wall beneath it. It would have sheltered the work of moving barrels and tubs in and out. Closed to the outside and open to the inside, it follows the same logic as its neighbors on the east front.

Where the south gable meets the Head Clerk’s Room, the junction itself is worth a look: a single-storey roof runs into a two-storey gable wall, two buildings of different dates pressed together.

Visiting the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse

The outer walls of the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse face outside, but the estate is a private home and not open to the public. The open lean-to is on the inner side and cannot be seen from outside.

To see the inner side you would need to use one of the owners’ reservation-only services for filming or events. Ask in advance what can be viewed and whether photography is allowed.

History and transport information for the whole estate is on the Kawabata Family Residence page.

Q&A

QWhen was the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse built?: AIt is thought to date from the early Meiji period, earlier than the Villa and Great Gate. It was registered in 2001.

QWhere is the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse?: AOn the east side of the estate, directly north of the Head Clerk’s Room, with its south gable touching that building.

QWhat is the structure of the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse?: AA two-storey storehouse with a north–south ridge, a gabled tiled roof and a building area of 40 square meters.

QHow do the two sides of the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse differ?: AThe outward face has plaster walls over battened clapboard; the inward west side has an open lean-to roof on posts.

QCan the Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse be seen from outside?: AIts outer walls face outward, but the estate is private and not open to the public. The inner side can be seen only by reservation.

Basic Information

Name	Kawabata Family Residence Miso Storehouse
Location	391 Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2001 (Heisei 13)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 40 m²
Owner	Kawabata Hozensha
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; reservation-only use for filming and events)