What Is the Misedoi Family Residence Barn?
The Misedoi Family Residence Barn (見世土井家住宅納屋, Misedoi-ke Jūtaku Naya) is a single-storey timber outbuilding 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. It covers 26 square metres and stands west of the small storehouse, its ridge running east to west.
The plan is long and narrow, 7.3 by 3.6 metres, under a gabled Sangawara-buki roof. The walls are clad in horizontal weatherboarding, Shitami-itabari, held by slim vertical battens, and the eaves are extended to shelter the front from rain. A sliding slatted window opens on the south side.
The family called it the charcoal room. It stored charcoal and farm tools.
A Timber Shed for Fuel and Tools
The Misedoi Family Residence Barn was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Among the estate's outbuildings, it is the only storage building made of timber boards rather than thick earthen walls.
Things that did not need fireproof protection, such as fuel charcoal and working tools, went into a light wooden shed. Valuables and rice went into the plastered storehouses. The mix of outbuildings on the lot shows that division clearly.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points out that the south window was designed to ventilate the room. Charcoal keeps poorly in damp air, so airflow mattered, and a forestry family's estate built that concern into the specification of its fuel store.
What to Look For
Find the window on the south side. It is a musō-mado, two layers of vertical slats that slide past each other: closed, it reads as a solid board wall; opened, air passes straight through.
Look at the eaves. They are drawn out to catch the rain so that charcoal and tools could be carried in and out without getting wet, a practical choice in Owase, one of the wettest towns in Japan.
The weatherboard walls give this building a timber texture that stands out against the white plaster of the storehouses around it.
Visiting the Barn
The Misedoi Family Residence Barn lies deep inside the grounds and its interior is closed. The estate does not, as a rule, admit people who come only to see the cultural properties, and the barn has no viewing days (checked 17 September 2026).
Set behind the small storehouse, it is hard to see from outside the property. If you are inside for an event, look for the slatted window on the south side and the extended eaves, and ask staff before taking photographs.
Access and entry conditions for the estate are on the Misedoi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- What was the Misedoi Family Residence Barn used for?
- It was known as the charcoal room and stored charcoal and farm tools.
- When was the Misedoi Family Residence Barn built?
- In the Taishō era, between 1912 and 1926.
- What kind of window does the Misedoi Family Residence Barn have?
- A sliding slatted window (musō-mado) on the south side. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it was intended to ventilate the interior.
- What does the Misedoi Family Residence Barn look like?
- A single-storey timber building with a gabled tiled roof, weatherboard walls held by vertical battens, and eaves extended to keep off the rain.
- Can I go inside the Misedoi Family Residence Barn?
- 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 Barn (見世土井家住宅納屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 72 Asahi-cho, Owase City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 24-0210 |
| Year Designated | Registered 4 August 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single-storey, tiled roof, building area 26 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 Barn
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010619
- Cultural Heritage Online: Misedoi Family Residence Barn (in Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/280113
- 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
