About the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse
The Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse (里見家住宅味噌蔵, Satomi-ke Jūtaku Misogura) is a late Edo-period storehouse, built between 1830 and 1867, that faces the road at the front of the Satomi farmstead in Shimo-Osaka, Shimonita Town, Gunma Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2007. It was repaired in 1915.
It stands in front of the main house, slightly to the west, with the gate built directly against its east side. It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building of 2.5 Ken by 2 ken (a ken is roughly 1.8 meters) with a footprint of 17 square meters, the smaller of the two storehouses on the property.
Why It Was Registered
The Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a solid, unornamented building.
Its real value lies in its partnership with the gate. In its notes on the gate, the Agency says the two together create the formal front of the property, and they are the first buildings anyone sees on approaching the Satomi house from the road.
A Door to the East, Windows to the Road
The Satomi miso storehouse has a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles, which replaced an earlier covering of stone-weighted boards. It is entered from the east end, in the Tsumairi manner, through the triangular gable wall. Since the gate stands right against that side, the doorway opens toward the gate.
On the south side, facing the road, there are two windows. They are the only openings the storehouse offers to the street.
Inside, the ground floor has an earth floor and the upper floor is boarded. As its name suggests, the building appears to have stored miso, the fermented soybean paste of Japanese cooking, and an earth floor at ground level suits a storehouse where heavy casks were kept and moved.
Visiting the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse
The Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse is privately owned and its interior is not open to the public.
Because it stands on the road, its south wall, the two windows and the shape of its gabled roof can all be seen from the public road. Please stay off the property and take photographs only from the road.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse built?
- It dates from the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1867, and was repaired in 1915.
- Why is the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on December 5, 2007, for contributing to the historic landscape: a solid, plain storehouse that forms the front of the property together with the gate.
- Which side is the entrance of the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse on?
- The east side. It is entered through the gable end, and the gate stands right next to it on that side.
- What is inside the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- The ground floor has an earth floor and the upper floor is boarded. The interior is not open to the public.
- Can the Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse be seen from outside?
- Yes. It faces the road, so its south wall and windows are visible from the public road. Please do not enter the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 48 Takenohana, Shimo-Osaka, Shimonita-machi, Kanra-gun, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on December 5, 2007 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 17 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the public road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006626
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Satomi Family Residence Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006627
- Cultural Heritage Online: Satomi Family Residence Miso Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/197619
- Gunma Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Gunma (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.gunma.jp/uploaded/attachment/677575.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.03
