What Is the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
The Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse (見世土井家住宅米蔵, Misedoi-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of the early Shōwa period (1926 to 1945) on the Misedoi estate in Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015. It covers 89 square metres and occupies the northwest corner of the lot, northwest of the main house.
The building is 11 metres long and 5.5 metres deep, with a hipped Yosemune-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles. Its Onigawara ridge-end tiles carry the family crest, eight mallets in a wheel. The door faces south under an eave that creates a covered forecourt 2.7 metres deep.
As the name says, it held rice, on both floors.
The Largest Storehouse on the Estate
The Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Set beside the other two storehouses, its scale is obvious: 89 square metres against 59 square metres for the main storehouse and 34 square metres for the small one, and 11 metres in length. Apart from the main house, it is the biggest building on the lot.
Its roof form also differs. The other storehouses have gabled roofs; this one is hipped, sloping down on all four sides. Sitting at the corner of the property, that fully eaved roof gives the northwest edge of the estate a solid finish.
Filling two floors with rice suggests a household of considerable size in the early Shōwa years. That a forestry family added a rice store of this capacity is a useful measure of how the estate operated.
What to Look For
Check the hipped roof and the crest on its ridge-end tiles. The same emblem appears on the late-Edo main storehouse, carried forward onto this Shōwa-era building.
The 2.7-metre forecourt under the south eave is the deepest on the estate, presumably giving room to handle heavy bales of rice.
Notice how tightly the back of the estate is packed. Just east of the rice storehouse, the narrow outdoor toilet is fitted between it and the main storehouse.
Visiting the Rice Storehouse
The interior of the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse is closed. The estate does not, as a rule, admit visitors who come only for the cultural properties, and no viewing plans have been announced (checked 17 September 2026).
Although it stands at the corner of the lot, we could not confirm how much of it is visible from the street. Please do not peer over walls; if an event takes you inside, look at the roof shape and the depth of the forecourt, and ask staff before taking photos.
Directions and entry conditions are on the Misedoi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- What was stored in the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- Rice, on both the ground and upper floors.
- How old is the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It dates from the early Shōwa period, between 1926 and 1945.
- How big is the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It is 11 metres long and 5.5 metres deep, with a building area of 89 square metres, the largest of the estate's three storehouses.
- How can I tell the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse apart from the other storehouses?
- By its hipped roof. The other two storehouses have gabled roofs. Its ridge-end tiles also carry the family crest.
- Is the Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse open to visitors?
- No. The interior is closed, and the estate does not admit sightseers as a rule (checked 17 September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse (見世土井家住宅米蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 72 Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 24-0211 |
| Year Designated | Registered 4 August 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 89 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed. The estate does not admit sightseers as a rule. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010620
- Cultural Heritage Online: Misedoi Family Residence Rice Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/213084
- Owase City: Misedoi Family Residence Main House and Eight Other Structures (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.owase.lg.jp/0000013066.html
- Owase City: Summary of the Nine Registered Structures (PDF, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.owase.lg.jp/cmsfiles/contents/0000013/13066/doimisegaiyou.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.17
