Rice on One Side, Miso on the Other
The Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse (旧上野家住宅中蔵, Kyū Ueno-ke Jūtaku Nakagura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse for rice and miso in the Ueno family compound at Saihoji in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, built in the late Edo period (1751–1829) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006.
The Ueno middle storehouse stands in line with the east storehouse, just to its west. It measures 4.5 Ken by 2 ken, with a building area of 36 square metres, the largest of the compound's three storehouses, and is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building under a tiled gabled roof running east to west.
Why the Middle Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. The national description says it forms a single scene with the east storehouse: a large and a small storehouse in a row behind the main house, the back view of the compound.
Part of its value is that we know what it was for. Inside, it is divided into two rooms of 2.5 ken and 2 ken, used as a rice store and a miso store. Rice went in one; a year's supply of miso, left to mature, went in the other. The scale of a large farming household is built into the plan.
What to Look For
On the south front there are two doors, one for each room. Compare the spacing and you can read the difference between the 2.5 ken room and the 2 ken room from outside.
The building stands on a cut-stone base, and a canopy runs across the front. The east storehouse next door is built the same way, which is why the pair looks so consistent.
Miso needs steady temperatures. Thick clay walls made storehouses like this fire-resistant, and they also kept the interior cool and even through the seasons.
Visiting the Middle Storehouse
The Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse can be seen from outside by walking round behind the main house. The interior is not regularly open. Local tourism listings mention exhibitions held in the storehouses; if one is on, ask the facility which storehouse is being used.
No published rule on photography turned up, but photographing the exterior is unlikely to be a problem. Opening hours and directions are covered on the Former Ueno Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can you visit the Ueno Middle Storehouse, and is there a fee?
- Yes. The Ueno Middle Storehouse stands inside the compound, which is open free of charge from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days and closed on Wednesdays and over the New Year holidays.
- What was the Ueno Middle Storehouse used for?
- It is divided into two rooms, one used as a rice store and the other as a miso store, each with its own door on the south front.
- When was the Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse built?
- The national database dates it to the late Edo period (1751–1829).
- How large is the Ueno Middle Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse 4.5 ken by 2 ken, with a building area of 36 square metres, the largest of the three storehouses.
- Is the Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse an Important Cultural Property?
- No. The Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registered on August 3, 2006, on the same day as the other seven structures in the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 285 Saihoji, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/08/03 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey clay-walled, tiled roof; 4.5 ken by 2 ken; building area 36 square metres |
| Owner | Maizuru City |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable free of charge 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days (closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays); interior not regularly open |
References
- Former Ueno Family Residence Middle Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005631
- Maizuru City Basic Concept for History and Culture, Ch. 2 (2-3): list of designated and registered properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kyouiku/cmsfiles/contents/0000004/4317/2-2.2_2019013109530129.pdf
- Ordinance on the Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke Facility (Maizuru City bylaws, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/html/reiki_int/reiki_honbun/k104RG00000789.html
- Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke (Maizuru City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kankou/0000010433.html
- Ōjōya Ueno-ke (Maizuru tourism association, Japanese)
- https://maizuru-kanko.net/archives/sightseeing/686
Last verified: 2026.09.25
