What is the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
The Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse (町田家住宅味噌蔵, Machida-ke Jūtaku Misogura) is a small early Meiji-era earthen storehouse on the Machida family estate in Nakanojo, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
It is a two-story building in Dozo-zukuri construction, the thick clay-walled build used for Japanese storehouses, with a tiled roof and a building area of 30 square meters. It measures 3 ken by 2 ken, the smaller of the two registered storehouses at the estate. The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it in the early Meiji era, which began in 1868.
Why the miso storehouse was registered
The Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001, under number 10-0081, the number right after the main house, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency's description is frank: it calls this a plain, simple storehouse. It then explains why it still counts, describing it as one of the main elements that make up the Machida estate. The value lies less in the building on its own than in its place within the whole, as a working storehouse behind the main house.
As the name suggests, it was presumably used to store miso. We found no record of how long the Machida family kept using it for that purpose.
What to look for at the Machida miso storehouse
A base of piled river stones
The Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse stands some way north of the main house's northeast corner, on a raised base walled with rounded, unworked stones. The Agency describes the masonry as Nozurazumi laid at random, meaning the joints do not run in level courses and the stones vary in size. The stone platform lifts the storehouse a step above the ground.
A separate roof and a work porch on the north
The roof is a gabled Okiyane, a roof built as a separate frame and set on top of the clay-plastered body of the storehouse. The arrangement is said to let the roof burn and fall away in a fire while the sealed store below survives. The ridge runs north to south, and on the north gable end a Geya lean-to one ken wide projects to form a sheltered work area in front of the door, known as the kuramae.
Board-clad lower walls
The lower part of the walls is covered in boards, protecting the clay where it wears fastest. It gives the miso storehouse a workaday look that contrasts with the banded white plaster of the larger outer storehouse nearby.
Visiting the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse
The Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse stands inside a private estate, behind the main house, and we found no notice of public access (checked October 2, 2026). Visitors cannot enter the grounds, so only a limited view is possible from Route 353, and we have not confirmed how much of the storehouse can be seen from the road.
Please look only from outside and avoid peering into the property or photographing over the fence. Directions from Nakanojo Station are on the Machida Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- What kind of building is the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- A small two-story earthen storehouse with a tiled roof, a building area of 30 square meters and a footprint of 3 ken by 2 ken. It dates from the early Meiji era.
- Where is the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- It stands north of the northeast corner of the Machida main house, on a raised base of piled rounded stones.
- Why is the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Although it is a simple storehouse, it is considered one of the main elements of the Machida estate. It was registered in 2001, on the same day as the main house.
- What is special about the roof of the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- It is a gabled okiyane set over the clay body, with the ridge running north to south and a one-ken lean-to on the north end sheltering the doorway.
- Can visitors see the Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- It is inside a private estate with no public access announced. The grounds are closed, and the view from the road is limited.
Basic Information
| Name | Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 982 Nakanojo, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2001 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-story earthen storehouse, building area 30 square meters (3 ken by 2 ken) |
| Owner | Private (owner not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the grounds) |
References
- Machida Family Residence Miso Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002216
- Machida Family Residence Outer Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002217
Last verified: 2026.10.01
