A Moromi Storehouse Dated by Its Ridge-Raising
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse (小豆島馬越醤油南諸味蔵, Shōdoshima Umagoe Shōyu Minami-moromigura) is a single-storey timber storehouse of 1901 at Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce in Umagoe, Tonosho-cho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 18, 2003. It covers 300 square meters, and according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs its ridge-raising year is known from written records.
It stands directly south of the north moromi storehouse, both ridges running east to west. The northern building is thought to date from the brewery's founding in the late Edo period; the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse was added at least three decades later as a second large hall for fermenting moromi, the mash that slowly turns into soy sauce.
Following the Older Storehouse
The roof is gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) and laid with pantiles. It is a long single-storey block, a little shorter along the ridge (Ketayuki) than its northern neighbor. The walls are Shinkabe, posts exposed, sheathed outside in vertical boards.
The overall recipe matches the older building, but not every detail. The Agency records a waist-high cut-stone base and a stepped west ridge on the north storehouse; neither appears in its note on this one. The Meiji builders seem to have taken the founding-era storehouse as their model and simplified it.
Heavy Timbers, Traditional Methods
The frame uses large-diameter timbers throughout, from the center posts under the ridge to the beams. The Agency describes the building as following traditional methods.
The date places it squarely between the 1888 processing hall and the 1908 brick chimney on the same site. Even as the heart of the works moved toward modern equipment, the building for fermenting moromi went up in the old way, with heavy timbers resting on a line of center posts. One reading is that, for the slow work of maturing soy sauce, the brewery preferred a proven storehouse form to anything new.
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse was registered as number 37-0153 as a model of architectural design, the same criterion as the north storehouse.
Seeing the South Moromi Storehouse
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse belongs to a working brewery and its interior is not open to the public. No published offer of visits could be found.
From outside, compare the lengths of the two roofs side by side: the southern one is slightly shorter. It is also worth checking whether the cut stone at the base of the north storehouse appears here as well. Stay off the premises and look only from beyond the property line.
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Q&A
- When was the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse built?
- Its ridge was raised in 1901, a date known from records.
- How does the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse differ from the north storehouse?
- The north storehouse is late Edo; this one is from 1901. It is slightly shorter, and the Agency's note does not mention the cut-stone base or stepped ridge recorded for the north storehouse.
- How is the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse built?
- It is a single-storey timber building with a gabled pantiled roof, framed with large-diameter center posts and beams in the traditional manner. Its building area is 300 square meters.
- Can I go inside the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse?
- No. The interior is closed, and the building can only be seen from outside the property.
- Why is the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on March 18, 2003 as a model of architectural design. Its registration number is 37-0153.
Basic Information
| Name | Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse (小豆島馬越醤油南諸味蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 161 Maehama-ko, Umagoe, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 37-0153 |
| Year Designated | Registered March 18, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 1 storey, gabled pantiled roof, building area 300 square meters |
| Owner | Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Limited Partnership |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior only as seen from outside the property |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003326
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce North Moromi Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003325
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce South Moromi Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/179546
Last verified: 2026.09.29
