The storehouse on the corner
The Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse (森田家住宅前の蔵, Morita-ke Jūtaku Mae-no-kura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse in Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo, built around 1852, moved to its present position in 1983 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 24 December 2013, registration number 13-0315.
The Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse occupies the southeast corner of the lot, right by the Ogawa crossroads. It is a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) Dozo-zukuri building, 7.3 metres by 5.4 metres with a building area of 40 square metres, under a detached sheet-metal roof, and its door is in the west gable end.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the date as around 1852 and notes the 1983 move. Where it stood before could not be confirmed from published sources. Its present position is therefore only some forty years old, yet it was registered as part of the homestead's street front all the same.
Why it was listed
The Agency's description says the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse, together with the shop storehouse, gives the homestead its dignified frontage. It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape, so the weight falls on the face the property shows to the road rather than on the building alone.
The name means simply "the storehouse at the front". A storehouse on the corner anchors the row that runs west from it: shop storehouse, gate, then fence. Take it away and the frontage would lose its end.
What to look for
The feature to find on the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse is the south wall facing the road, with windows set in two tiers. Each is framed by a surround shaped rather like a torii gateway and fitted with an earthen shutter. Closed in a fire, the shutters seal the openings as thickly as the wall itself.
The walls are finished in sprayed mortar, with the lower band in pebble-washed Araidashi. Compare it with the shop storehouse next door, which shares the same lower finish, and you can see how modern materials and older plaster sit side by side across the homestead.
Visiting
The Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse is on the corner of the property and its exterior is easy to see from the pavement of Mutsumibashi-dori. Step back across the road to take in both tiers of windows on the south wall. The interior is not open.
There is no posted rule on photography, and pictures from the street are unproblematic. The crossroads is busy, so stay on the pavement. Directions are on the Morita Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tokyo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse
- [ Tokyo Skytree Asakusa & teamLab Experiences ]
Q&A
- Can you go inside the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse?
- No. The interior is not open, but the exterior of the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse can be seen from the pavement at the southeast corner of the property on Mutsumibashi-dori.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to around 1852 and records that it was moved to its present position in 1983.
- What are the windows like on the Morita Front Storehouse?
- The south wall facing the road has windows in two tiers, each in a torii-like surround with its own earthen fire shutter.
- How large is the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse measuring 7.3 metres by 5.4 metres, with a building area of 40 square metres.
- When was the Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse registered?
- On 24 December 2013, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property with registration number 13-0315.
Basic Information
| Name | Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse (森田家住宅前の蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 633-1 Konaka, Ogawa, Akiruno City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/12/24 (Heisei 25); registration no. 13-0315 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 2 storeys; 7.3 metres by 5.4 metres; building area 40 square metres |
| Owner | Not published (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior visible from the street |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Morita Family Residence Front Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009730
- 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
