The Gable Between Two Houses
The Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse (佐藤家住宅旧味噌蔵, Satō-ke Jūtaku Kyū-misogura) is a two-storey wooden storehouse built in 1879 in the old castle town of Taketa, Oita Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2006.
The national database says it faces the road and measures 3 and a half by 3 ken, under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles. With a building area of 64 square metres it is the smallest of the three Sato buildings on the street.
Taketa City's townscape plan describes the main house and the former shop and main house as standing on either side of the miso storehouse, which is built Tsumairi-style with its gable to the street. As the name says, it was once used to store miso, the fermented soybean paste at the heart of Japanese home cooking.
Why It Was Registered
The Sato Former Miso Storehouse was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape, as number 44-0127.
In the words of the national database, it shows white Shikkui storehouse walls to its surroundings and lends variety to the streetscape. The two houses beside it keep their ridges parallel to the road; the miso storehouse turns its triangular gable outward instead, so the line of eaves along the street breaks and changes direction at this point. That is the variety the city plan has in mind.
What to Look At
A gable to the street
Because the Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse is gable-fronted, what you see from the road is a tall triangular wall set between the long, low eaves of the houses on either side.
A lean-to that doubles as a passage
On the street side the storehouse has a lean-to Geya, which the database describes as a passage connecting the buildings on either side. It reads as a covered walkway in front of the store, letting people move between the two houses without stepping into the rain.
Storehouse plaster on a wooden frame
Although the structure is timber, the outer walls carry the same lime plaster as a true earthen storehouse, a pale surface set against the townhouse fronts beside it.
Which "main house"?
The database places the Sato Former Miso Storehouse "adjoining the north side of the main house." Yet the same database puts the main house at the north end of the plot and the former shop and main house in the south-east corner, and the city plan has the miso store between the two. Read together, the main house meant here is most likely the former shop and main house, though the entry does not spell it out.
Visiting
The Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse is privately owned, and as of October 2026 there was no notice of public access to the interior.
Its gable and lean-to face the road, so the exterior can be seen from the street on the east side. Stand a little way along the street to see how the roof direction switches between the storehouse and its neighbours. Please do not enter the grounds.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse built?
- It was built in 1879 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2006.
- How big is the Sato Former Miso Storehouse in Taketa?
- It is a two-storey wooden building, 3 and a half by 3 ken, with a gabled tiled roof and a building area of 64 square metres.
- What is distinctive about the Sato Former Miso Storehouse facade?
- It turns its gable to the street, so the roofline changes direction between it and the houses on either side. The outer walls are white lime plaster.
- What was the lean-to on the Sato Former Miso Storehouse used for?
- According to the national database, the lean-to on the street side serves as a passage connecting the buildings on either side.
- Can I visit the Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse?
- No public opening had been announced as of October 2026. The exterior can be seen from the street on the east side.
Basic Information
| Name | Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse (佐藤家住宅旧味噌蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 102-2 Taketamachi and other lots, Taketa City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/11/29 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 64 square metres |
| Owner | Private (owner field blank in the national database) |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (exterior visible from the street to the east) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006072
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sato Family Residence Former Miso Storehouse
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/119147
- Taketa City, Historic Townscape Maintenance and Improvement Plan, Chapter 2 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.taketa.oita.jp/material/files/group/23/chapter2.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.08
