What Is the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
The Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse (小田垣家住宅味噌蔵, Odagaki-ke Jūtaku Misogura) is a small earthen storehouse from the end of the Edo period on the Odagaki Shoten property in Tatemachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 2, 2007. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1830 to 1867, which makes it the oldest of the seven buildings registered as the Odagaki Family Residence.
It stands south of the workshop with its ridge running north to south. A two-storey Dozo-zukuri building measuring 2.9 by 3.7 meters, with a building area of 14 square meters, it has a gabled roof of Sangawara-buki tiles and a well house built onto its north side.
Why the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse Was Registered
Like the other nine Odagaki buildings, the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The agency's description goes further and calls it an inward-facing facility for the household.
That phrase is the key to the building. The workshop and former sake brewery behind the shop handled the goods the family sold. The miso storehouse served the family kitchen instead, keeping food for the household and its workers. On a property run by a black soybean merchant, a separate little store for daily provisions shows how clearly business and home were divided within one compound.
Its late Edo date also places it before the larger Meiji storehouse that leans against its south wall, so it predates most of the residential buildings that later spread south across the lot.
What to Look For at the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse
The feature to notice first is the well house on the north face of the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse. Making miso takes a great deal of water, and building the well and the store as one unit kept the water supply a step from the vats.
The doorway also faces north. It is closed by a sliding board door on the outside and a lattice door with a solid lower panel inside, a double layer that lets air in while still controlling access.
Inside, a partition half a bay wide divides off the west side of the ground floor, while the upper floor is a single room. Even a store this small was split up for different uses.
Visiting the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse
The Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse sits deep inside the property and cannot be seen from the street, and its interior is not open to the public (checked September 2026).
Odagaki Shoten occasionally runs a reservation-only tour that includes a look at its historic buildings, but the announcement does not say which buildings are shown; ask when booking if you hope to see the miso storehouse. Directions and shop hours are on the Odagaki Shoten page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse to the end of the Edo period, 1830 to 1867. It is the oldest of the seven Odagaki Family Residence buildings.
- Can I visit the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- No. The Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse is not open to the public and cannot be seen from the street (checked September 2026).
- When was the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 2, 2007, on the same day as the other nine Odagaki buildings.
- What is the well house on the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- It is a small roofed shelter over a well, built onto the north side of the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse so that water for making miso could be drawn right beside the store.
- How big is the Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- The Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse measures 2.9 by 3.7 meters, with a building area of 14 square meters, on two storeys.
Basic Information
| Name | Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 19 Tatemachi and others, Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture (listed as Sasayama City in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered October 2, 2007 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri, tiled roof, building area 14 square meters, with well house; 2.9 meters by 3.7 meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (not visible from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 小田垣家住宅味噌蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006353
- Cultural Heritage Online: Odagaki Family Residence Miso Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/182566
- Odagaki Shoten official site: Experience Tamba's Black Soybean Heritage tour
- https://www.odagaki.co.jp/news/4237/
Last verified: 2026.09.28
