What Is the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse?
The Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse (見世土井家住宅蔵, Misedoi-ke Jūtaku Kura) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse of the Taishō era (1912 to 1926) on the Misedoi estate in Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015. With a building area of 34 square metres, it stands close against the west side of the main house.
It measures 5.5 by 4.6 metres under a gabled Sangawara-buki roof with an east-west ridge. The door is in the east gable end, a Tsumairi entrance, and an eave projects over it to create a sheltered forecourt 2.0 metres deep.
It is the smallest of the estate's three storehouses, and both its size and its closeness to the house say something about how it was used.
A Storehouse That Carries the Trade Name
The Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. What distinguishes it from its neighbours is up on the roof.
Its Onigawara ridge-end tiles do not show the family crest. Instead they display 山吉, one of the family's trade names, written with the characters for "mountain" and "good fortune". The crest, eight mallets in a wheel, appears lower down on the eave tiles. On the main storehouse and the rice storehouse the crest sits at the ridge; here the business name takes the top position and the family emblem runs along the eaves.
The Doi Mise branch was known for trading as well as forestry, and this tile shows it used more than one house name. Family and business are both written onto the roof of this one small building.
What to Look For
Compare the ridge ends with the eaves: the trade name above, the crest below. It is a detail you need to be close to read, and it is the most characterful feature of the building.
Note the door in the gable end. Instead of opening on the long side, the storehouse is entered from its narrow end, with a 2.0-metre covered forecourt where goods could be handled out of the rain.
Its position matters too. The main storehouse and rice storehouse cluster toward the north of the lot, but this one sits right beside the living quarters, which suggests it held things the household reached for more often.
Visiting the Storehouse
The interior of the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse is closed. The estate does not admit visitors who come only to see its cultural properties, as a rule, and no viewing days are scheduled (checked 17 September 2026).
Because it stands west of the main house, you are unlikely to make out the lettering on the ridge tiles from the street. If an event brings you inside the grounds, compare the tiles at ridge and eave, and ask staff before photographing.
Directions and entry conditions are set out on the Misedoi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In the Taishō era, between 1912 and 1926.
- What is shown on the ridge tiles of the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse?
- One of the family's trade names, 山吉. The family crest of eight mallets in a wheel appears on the eave tiles instead.
- Where is the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse on the estate?
- Directly west of the main house, with the barn further to the west.
- Which way does the door of the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse face?
- East. The door is in the east gable end, under an eave that creates a covered forecourt 2.0 metres deep.
- Can I visit the Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, and the estate does not admit sightseers as a rule (checked 17 September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse (見世土井家住宅蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 72 Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 24-0209 |
| Year Designated | Registered 4 August 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 34 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 Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010618
- Cultural Heritage Online: Misedoi Family Residence Storehouse (in Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/265512
- 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
