Where the Lean-To Becomes a Wall
Abuden Miso East Storehouse is a Meiji-period earthen-walled storehouse at 5-26 Kaemoncho, Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture, listed on 17 February 2004 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. It has two storeys under a tiled roof, covers 33 square metres, and stands west of the archive storehouse on the north side of the Abuden Miso plot, its ridge running east to west.
Of the three storehouses along that north edge, Abuden Miso East Storehouse is the middle one, with the archive storehouse to the east and the middle storehouse to the west. Together the three form the northern face of the property.
The Tuff Wall
The storehouse measures four bays along the ridge and two across, gabled and tiled in pantiles, on two floors. On the south side a projecting eave shelters the doorway, giving the working space in front of the entrance where goods were moved in and out.
Along the north runs a lean-to about two bays wide. The north face of that lean-to is a tuff wall continuous with the outer wall extending east, and it is what gives the north side of the property its particular character. Storehouse and boundary wall rise as a single plane towards the street. Abuden Miso East Storehouse is not simply a shed behind a shop; it forms part of the enclosure of the whole plot.
The middle storehouse next door carries a lean-to in the same way, and its north wall continues into the miso storehouse beyond. Stone wall giving way to boarded wall, the north edge reads as one unbroken run.
Visiting
The building is private property on the premises of a working miso business and is not a visitor site. There are no opening hours or admission fee, and no official source publishes information about access to the interior.
The lean-to and the tuff wall face the street, so the form can be seen from outside. Directions, the preservation district and enquiry contacts are set out on the Abuden Miso page.
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Q&A
- Where is Abuden Miso East Storehouse?
- On the north side of the Abuden Miso plot, west of the archive storehouse, at 5-26 Kaemoncho, Tochigi City.
- When was it built?
- In the Meiji period. The national record gives 1868 to 1911 without narrowing it to a year.
- How large is it?
- Two storeys with earthen walls and a tiled roof, covering 33 square metres, four bays along the ridge and two across.
- What should I look for?
- The lean-to on the north side. Its north face is a tuff wall continuous with the outer wall running east, and together they give the north edge of the property its distinctive form.
- Can I visit?
- It is private property on the premises of a working miso business and no official source publishes information about interior access. The exterior can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Abuden Miso East Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-26 Kaemoncho, Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/02/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Floor area 33 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Private business premises; exterior only |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003786
- Tochigi City: Kaemoncho Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings
- https://www.city.tochigi.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/68070.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.19
