Two Stores Under One Roof
The Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse (平田大六家住宅味噌蔵・米蔵, misogura and komegura) is a Taisho-era clay-walled storehouse in Omi, Sekikawa Village, Niigata Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 October 1999. A partition down the middle divides it: the northern half held miso, the southern half rice.
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building of 8 by 3 Ken, tile-roofed with sheet metal on the lean-to eaves, and covers 79 square metres. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to about the same time as the main house, which was completed in 1921. Its registration number is 15-0035.
Anchoring the Corner of the Estate
The Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse occupies the southeast corner of the plot, south of the main house. The brewery, the old storehouse and the sake starter storehouse are all grouped to the north; this building alone sits apart on the south side, fixing one corner of the compound. The agency counts it among the main elements of the estate's layout.
Rice was both the brewer's raw material and the household's food, and miso fed a large kitchen. Both had to be stockpiled. Whether the rice kept here went to the brewery or to the table is not recorded.
What to Look For
The roof is a steep okiyane, a separate roof frame set on the clay body, laid with sangawara pantiles. Compare it with the gentle okiyane of the 1835 storehouse on the same estate: the same technique, a very different profile.
According to the agency, the outer walls were originally clad in Shitami-itabari, overlapping horizontal boards. Boarding over clay walls to shield them from rain and snow is a common precaution on storehouses in heavy-snow country. The present state of the walls could not be confirmed from published sources.
From outside the Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse reads as a single storehouse, but north and south of the partition it held different goods. Two functions under one roof is what sets it apart.
Visiting
The building is not open to the public, and no opening has been announced (checked 25 September 2026). Its corner position may put it on the edge of the property, but whether it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. Do not enter the grounds.
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Q&A
- What is the Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse?
- A single two-storey clay-walled storehouse divided by a central partition, with miso stored in the northern half and rice in the southern half. It covers 79 square metres.
- When was the Hirata Dairoku miso and rice storehouse built?
- In the Taisho era, at about the same time as the main house completed in 1921.
- Can I visit the Hirata Dairoku miso and rice storehouse?
- No public opening has been announced (checked 25 September 2026), and it is not confirmed whether the building is visible from the road.
- What is the cultural property status of the Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse?
- It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registered on 14 October 1999 under number 15-0035.
- What are the roof and walls of the Hirata Dairoku miso and rice storehouse like?
- The roof is a steep okiyane laid with sangawara pantiles. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the outer walls were originally clad in overlapping horizontal boards.
Basic Information
| Name | Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 237 Omi, Sekikawa Village, Iwafune County, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/10/14 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, two storeys, tiled roof (metal sheet on lean-to eaves), 8 by 3 ken, building area 79 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (checked 2026/9/25) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Miso Storehouse and Rice Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001329
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001328
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Hirata Dairoku Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001332
Last verified: 2026.09.25
