The household goods store west of the main house
The Morita Family Residence West Storehouse (森田家住宅西蔵, Morita-ke Jūtaku Nishigura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse in Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo, built between 1830 and 1868 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 24 December 2013, registration number 13-0317.
The Morita Family Residence West Storehouse stands west of the main house with its ridge running east to west, entered through the east gable end (Tsumairi). It is a gabled Dozo-zukuri building measuring 7.3 metres by 5.6 metres, with a building area of 41 square metres. Its detached roof is tiled in pantiles (Sangawara-buki), unlike the sheet-metal roofs of the shop and front storehouses.
Why it was listed
The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies the Morita Family Residence West Storehouse as the store for household goods. Where the rice and miso stores served farming and food, this one held the family's own belongings, the domestic side of a homestead that gave each kind of goods its own building.
The family's description notes that shelving fills both floors wall to wall, and that the upper shelves carry a variety of ink inscriptions thought to date from when the storehouse was built. If they record what was kept where, they offer an unusually direct view of how the household ran.
What to look for
The front of the Morita Family Residence West Storehouse is its east gable. The doorway combines hinged double doors with a pair of heavy sliding outer doors, layer upon layer against fire. Higher up, a small window under its own little canopy is closed with a kakego-nuri door, a plasterer's technique in which the edges of door and frame are built up in steps so they lock tight when shut.
The walls are finished in Shikkui plaster, and the roof is framed with raking beams that climb from the eaves toward the ridge. That arrangement gives the upper floor more height, which is what allowed tall shelving to be fitted.
Visiting
The Morita Family Residence West Storehouse stands inside the grounds, west of the main house, and is barely visible from the street. It is not open inside, and there are no public viewings of the shelving or inscriptions.
Entering the grounds requires the owner's permission. There is no posted rule on photography. Directions are on the Morita Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tokyo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Morita Family Residence West Storehouse
- [ Tokyo Skytree Asakusa & teamLab Experiences ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Morita Family Residence West Storehouse?
- The Morita Family Residence West Storehouse is inside the grounds and closed to the public. It can hardly be seen from the street, and entering the grounds needs the owner's permission.
- What was the Morita Family Residence West Storehouse used for?
- It held household goods. Shelving fills both floors from wall to wall.
- What are the ink inscriptions in the Morita West Storehouse?
- A variety of inscriptions written on the upper-floor shelves, which the family believes date from the time the storehouse was built.
- How large is the Morita Family Residence West Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse measuring 7.3 metres by 5.6 metres, with a building area of 41 square metres.
- When was the Morita Family Residence West Storehouse registered?
- On 24 December 2013, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property with registration number 13-0317.
Basic Information
| Name | Morita Family Residence West Storehouse (森田家住宅西蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 633-1 Konaka, Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/12/24 (Heisei 25); registration no. 13-0317 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys; 7.3 metres by 5.6 metres; building area 41 square metres |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Morita Family Residence West Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009732
- Kanmi Sabō Misegura Hisamori: cultural properties
- https://www.hisamori.biz/pages/10/
- Akiruno City: designated and registered cultural properties in Akiruno
- https://www.city.akiruno.tokyo.jp/kanko/0000001910.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
