What Is the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse?
The Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse (糀屋太郎兵衛商店奥蔵及び米蔵, Kōjiya Tarobē Shōten Okugura oyobi Komegura) is a storehouse built in 1893 on the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten property in Uomachi, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021.
Despite the double name it is a single building: one 2-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse divided east to west, with the rice store (komegura) on the west side and the inner store (okugura) on the east. It covers 61 square meters and stands north of the tool storehouse, facing south.
Rice on One Side, Tools on the Other
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the west room held the rice from which koji is made, and the east room held the equipment used to make it. Raw material and tools side by side under one roof: this was a working store for the business, not a strongroom for family valuables. The agency sums up the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse as a facility that supported koji production.
It was rebuilt after the Great Matsusaka Fire of March 29, 1893, at about the same time as the Shop and Main House. Mie Prefecture dates both the storehouse itself and the covered area at its front to 1893. It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape.
A Long Front and Plastered Walls
The roof is Hongawarabuki, laid with alternating round and flat tiles. The entrance is on the long side (Hirairi), where a lean-to (Geya) is attached to form the Kuramae, the sheltered work area in front of the doors. The tool storehouse to the south does the opposite and shows its gable end to the front (Tsumairi). Two stores placed end to end make a long building, and turning that long side to the front is the natural result.
The walls are plastered in Shikkui all the way to the eaves, with a thickened Hachimaki band beneath them. Only the side facing outward from the property is covered in overlapping boards (Shitami-itabari), the same division of finishes as on the tool storehouse. That the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse, rebuilt in the Meiji era, matches the walls of the 1855 storehouse that survived the fire can be read as an effort to keep the property looking like one whole.
Seeing the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse
The Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse stands inside a private property that is both home and shop, and we found no notice of public opening (checked September 2026). There is no visitor reception and the grounds are not open.
The building on the street is the Shop and Main House; this storehouse lies further in, north of the tool storehouse. Directions are on the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- Is the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse two buildings?
- No, it is 1 building: a single 2-storey storehouse divided in two, with the rice store on the west and the inner store on the east.
- What was kept in the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse?
- Rice, the raw material for koji, in the west room, and koji-making tools in the east room.
- When was the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse built?
- In 1893, rebuilt together with its front kuramae after the Great Matsusaka Fire of March 29 that year.
- Can I visit the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse?
- It stands inside private grounds and there is no public opening (checked September 2026).
- When was the Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse registered?
- On February 4, 2021, registration number 24-0284.
Basic Information
| Name | Kojiya Tarobei Shoten Inner Storehouse and Rice Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1773 Uomachi, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered February 4, 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 61 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside private grounds; no public opening announced) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 糀屋太郎兵衛商店奥蔵及び米蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013561
- Cultural Heritage Online: 糀屋太郎兵衛商店奥蔵及び米蔵
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/539708
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 糀屋太郎兵衛商店道具蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013560
- Matsusaka City: 糀屋太郎兵衛商店店舗兼主屋、道具蔵、奥蔵及び米蔵、糀室
- https://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/site/culture-info/koujiya.html
- Mie Prefecture: Summary of newly recommended cultural properties (PDF)
- https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/000899264.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.28
