What Is the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
The Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse (片倉家住宅味噌蔵, Katakura-ke Jūtaku Misogura) is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse for miso built in the early Meiji period on the Katakura homestead in Kawagishikami, Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 July 1999. At 19 square meters it is the smallest of the five registered buildings.
It stands in the middle of the row of three storehouses west of the main house, squeezed between the West Storehouse to the north and the South Storehouse to the south.
A Wedge-Shaped Plan
The Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse is a little under 3 ken wide at the front but only 2 ken wide at the back, so its plan is a trapezoid.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs suggests this is because it was the last of the three to be built. Fitted into the space left between its neighbors, its side walls could not run parallel. Its depth, 2.5 ken, matches the other two.
Rather than being drawn first and built to plan, the building took whatever shape the gap in the yard allowed, and that order of construction is still written into its walls.
An Earth Floor and a Deep Eave
Inside, the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse has a bare earth floor, a Doma, rather than boards. Earth is the better surface for heavy miso tubs and for the messy work of making miso.
The roof is an Okiyane shared with the West Storehouse, and at the front it reaches out as a deep Tsuchibisashi eave. That sheltered strip in front of the door let the household move tubs and work outside in wet weather.
Farm families once made their own miso every year from soybeans, salt and koji. This small storehouse was most likely where the Katakura household kept and prepared its year's supply.
Visiting the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse
The Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse belongs to Katakura Industries and is not open to the public. The grounds and the interior are closed.
It sits in the middle of the storehouse row, hemmed in by its neighbors. View it only from the public road. Directions and the site layout are on the Katakura Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Why is the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse trapezoidal?
- The agency suggests it was the last of the three storehouses built and had to fit the space between them. It is just under 3 ken wide at the front and 2 ken at the back.
- What is inside the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- A bare earth floor. A deep eave at the front shelters a work area outside the door.
- Where is the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- In the middle of the row of three storehouses west of the main house, between the West and South storehouses.
- When did the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 8 July 1999, as registration no. 20-0016, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse?
- No. It is private and closed to visitors. Please view it from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse (片倉家住宅味噌蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-21-6 Kawagishikami, Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 20-0016 |
| Year Designated | Registered 8 July 1999 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, metal sheet roof, building area 19 square meters |
| Owner | Katakura Industries Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Katakura Family Residence Miso Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001190
- List of Cultural Properties (Okaya City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.okaya.lg.jp/material/files/group/26/10297.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.27
