What Is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse?
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse (黒田清右衛門商店味噌蔵, misokura) is a mid-Meiji-period clay-walled storehouse attached to the east end of the south side of the main house of Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten, a hardware wholesaler in Honmachi 2-chome, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 5, 2019.
It has two storeys and a tiled roof, with a building area of only 14 m², the smallest of the 11 registered structures at Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten. The government database dates it to the mid-Meiji period, between 1883 and 1897, and lists it as registration number 28-0722.
Why the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse Was Registered
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs counts it among the storehouses that form the east side of the property. The chain of stores that wraps the east, south and west sides begins with this small building attached to the house, then runs south through the east storehouse and the southeast corner storehouse. That place at the head of the chain made it a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The other storehouses held stock, household goods and records; this one, as its name says, served the kitchen. Even a hardware merchant's premises kept a store for daily food right beside the house.
What to Look for at the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse
An earth floor for miso, and a privy
According to the government description, the ground floor of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse is divided into an earth-floored Doma miso store one and a half bays square and a one-bay privy; the upper floor is a single boarded room. Barrels of fermenting miso are heavy, and an unfloored earth surface suits them. Set against the main house, the store is also close to the kitchen.
A canopy on two tiers of brackets
On the west side is a Hisashi canopy roofed in sheet metal. At the centre, a pair of heavy Udeki brackets, one stacked above the other, carries the canopy's beam. It is a strong feature for so small a store, and the one detail that gives its plain walls some character.
Plaster and boards
The walls are Shikkui lime plaster with Tateita-bari vertical boarding at the base, the same finish as the east, southeast corner and south storehouses. As the first link in the chain, it matches the stores that follow it.
A discrepancy in the record
The government database lists the structure as a two-storey timber building in its structure field, while its descriptive text calls it a two-storey clay-walled storehouse. The record does not show which is correct.
Visiting the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse
The Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse stands on the south side of the main house, inside the premises, and does not face the street. It belongs to a working company and no public opening is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Directions and the history of the premises are on the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten page.
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Q&A
- When was the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse built?
- In the mid-Meiji period, between 1883 and 1897, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was registered in 2019.
- Where is the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse?
- Attached to the east end of the south side of the main house, at the start of the chain of storehouses around the property.
- What is inside the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse?
- An earth-floored miso store one and a half bays square and a one-bay privy on the ground floor, and a single boarded room upstairs.
- What are the main features of the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse?
- Plastered walls with boarding at the base, and a sheet-metal canopy on the west side carried on two tiers of heavy brackets.
- Can visitors see the Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse?
- It stands inside the premises, away from the street, and no public opening is announced (checked October 2, 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 980 Honmachi 2-chome and other lots, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 14 m² |
| Owner | Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open (inside the premises, not facing the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten Miso Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013155
- Miki City History Museum: Kuroda Seiuemon Shoten (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/site/mikirekishishiryokan/19137.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
