About the Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse
The Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse (宮澤家住宅土蔵, Miyazawa-ke Jūtaku Dozō) is a two-story Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse built in 1885 in Misato Akemori, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 1998. It has a tiled Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof with the entrance on the long side, Hirairi style, and a building area of 70 square meters.
This is the oldest of the seven registered structures on the estate, some 35 to 50 years earlier than the rest. It stands on the west side of the lot, north of the detached wing, and faces the main house that was rebuilt in 1936.
A Plastered Canopy and Modeled Eaves
On its front, the side facing the main house, the Miyazawa Storehouse has a canopy one ken wide, about 1.8 meters, with its timber entirely sealed in clay and plaster. The fireproofing logic of a storehouse carries right through to the ornament of the entrance.
There are few openings in the walls, giving the building the closed look of a mid-sized storehouse. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is the eaves. The rafters and purlins that carry the roof are plastered over but left in relief, so their rhythm shows through the white surface. The result is a regular ribbing in the white plaster.
Two Patterns of Namako-kabe
The lower walls of the Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse are faced in namako-kabe, tiles fixed to the wall with raised white plaster joints, but the pattern changes from side to side. Only the front uses a hexagonal tortoise-shell pattern; the other faces use square tiles set on the diagonal, called shihan-bari. The more elaborate pattern presumably went on the side seen from the house.
When the detached wing was built just south of it around 1935, its back wall was given namako-kabe to match. Half a century on, the Meiji storehouse set the finish for the new building.
Registration and Visiting
The Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. It is the only building on the estate that goes back to the Meiji era, and it marks how long the Miyazawa family has kept a house on this ground.
No official information about opening the interior of the Miyazawa Storehouse could be found as of September 2026. Its front canopy and tortoise-shell tiling face the main house, inside the estate, and are hard to see from outside. No guidance on photography was found.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse
- [ Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi Hiking Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse built?
- In 1885 (Meiji 18). It is the oldest of the seven registered structures on the estate.
- How big is the Miyazawa Storehouse?
- It is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse with a tiled gabled roof and a building area of 70 square meters.
- What is different about the tiling on the Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse?
- Only the front, facing the main house, has a tortoise-shell pattern; the other sides use square tiles set on the diagonal.
- When did the Miyazawa Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On September 2, 1998.
- Can I see the Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse?
- No official interior opening was found as of September 2026, and its front faces into the estate, so it is hard to see from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse (宮澤家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3042 Misato Akemori, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 1998 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 70 m² (earthen-walled storehouse, 2 stories) |
| Owner | Miyazawa Hozen Co., Ltd. (宮澤保全有限会社) |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced (front faces into the estate) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000766
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Miyazawa Family Residence Detached Wing
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000765
- Cultural Heritage Online: Miyazawa Family Residence Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/176986
Last verified: 2026.09.29
