A Late Edo Earthen Storehouse Northwest of the Hall
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse (小豆島馬越醤油道具蔵, Shōdoshima Umagoe Shōyu Dōgugura) is a late Edo-period single-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse at Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce in Umagoe, Tonosho-cho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 18, 2003. At 42 square meters, it is the smallest of the four buildings listed that day.
It stands northwest of the processing hall, close to the shore. The Agency for Cultural Affairs believes that, like the north moromi storehouse, it dates from the years when soy sauce brewing began here, and values it as a record of what a late Edo brewery looked like. The business was founded in 1855, so the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse is one of the few clues to its earliest layout.
The Only Hongawara Roof on the Site
The gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) runs east to west and is laid in Hongawarabuki, the older system of alternating round and flat tiles. Of the five listed structures, this is the only one roofed that way; the processing hall and both moromi storehouses carry pantiles. The round cover tiles form thick vertical ribs, which makes the roof easy to pick out beside the smoother pantiled ones.
The door sits at the west end of the north side, sheltered by a small Hisashi canopy. The earthen walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster and then clad again in vertical boards, so the white plaster is hidden and the building reads from outside as a small timber-sided store.
What It Held, and Why It Was Registered
As the name suggests, it was presumably used to store brewing equipment, though the Agency's note does not say what was kept here.
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse was registered as number 37-0154 for contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. Small as it is, together with the north moromi storehouse it keeps a cluster of founding-era buildings on the seaward side of the lot, so the shape of a late Edo brewery can still be traced.
Seeing the Tool Storehouse
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse stands inside a working brewery and its interior is not open to the public. No published offer of visits could be found.
To pick it out from beyond the property line, look at the roof: a short gable ribbed with round tiles, and the canopy over the door at the west end of the north face. Stay off the premises.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period. The Agency for Cultural Affairs believes it dates from the brewery's founding years, like the north moromi storehouse.
- How big is the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse and how is it built?
- It is a single-storey earthen storehouse of 42 square meters, with a gabled hongawara tile roof and lime-plastered walls clad in vertical boards.
- What sets the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse apart from the other buildings?
- It is the only one of the five listed structures roofed with round-and-flat hongawara tiles; the other three buildings use pantiles.
- Can I go inside the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse?
- No. The interior is closed, and the building can only be seen from outside the property.
- Why is the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on March 18, 2003 for contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. Its registration number is 37-0154.
Basic Information
| Name | Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse (小豆島馬越醤油道具蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 161 Maehama-ko, Umagoe, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 37-0154 |
| Year Designated | Registered March 18, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 1 storey, gabled hongawara tile roof, building area 42 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 Tool Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003327
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Tool Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/116407
Last verified: 2026.09.29
