A small storehouse older than the house
Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse (森医院味噌蔵, Mori Iin Misogura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) on the Mori medical family's estate in Manoshinmachi, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, built in the early Meiji period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2006.
It measures 3.6 metres by 3 metres, a building area of 12 square metres, under a gabled pantile roof, and its front faces north. Only the 3 square metre outdoor toilet is smaller among the eight structures at Mori Clinic.
It is also among the oldest. The Agency for Cultural Affairs states that it went up before both the main house and the hospital building.
What the registration recognises
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. In the words of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse and the barn together preserve the look of the household as it was before. They are the only two buildings on the estate that show the Mori property as it stood before the main house of 1909, and that is the core of their value.
The order of construction can be read in the plan. The storehouse is attached to the south side of the western extension of the main house. Since the storehouse is the older of the two, the connection must be the result of the house growing toward a storehouse that was already there.
Its front faces north, which is the side that meets the extension. Taken at face value, that means the storehouse door opens toward the house.
Mortar and sheet iron over earth
Although it is built as an earthen storehouse, the walls you see are finished in mortar and sheet iron rather than the white plaster many people picture. When that finish was applied is not recorded.
Two storeys on a footprint about 3.6 metres wide give Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse a tall, narrow profile. Tucked against the extension at the back of the plot, it looks smaller still beside the bulk of the main house.
Seeing Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse
Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse is privately owned and the interior is closed.
It stands south of the western extension of the main house, towards the back of the plot, and the primary sources do not confirm that it can be seen from the street. Stay on the street. See the Mori Clinic page for how to get to Mano.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji period. The Agency for Cultural Affairs states that it predates the 1909 main house and the 1932 hospital building. It was registered on 18 October 2006.
- How big is Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse?
- It is 3.6 metres by 3 metres, with a building area of 12 square metres over 2 storeys, making it the second smallest structure at Mori Clinic.
- What are the walls of Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse made of?
- It is an earthen storehouse, but the outer walls are finished in mortar and sheet iron rather than white plaster.
- Why was Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse registered?
- Together with the barn, it preserves the layout of the household before the present main house was built. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I see Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse?
- The interior is not open, and because it stands towards the back of the plot, the sources do not confirm that it is visible from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 502-A, Manoshinmachi, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 18 October 2006 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys, tile roof, building area 12 square metres |
| Owner | Private (no owner named in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior viewing from the street only) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Mori Clinic Miso Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005805
- Sado City: Registered Tangible Cultural Property, Mori Clinic (Japanese)
- https://www.city.sado.niigata.jp/site/bunkazai/4962.html
Last verified: 2026.09.21
