public storehouse for tax grain and valuables (ritsuryō system)
Historical term for a government warehouse used to store tax rice, other grains, and valuables collected under the ritsuryō system. Often encountered in contexts discussing Nara- and Heian-period administration.
The shōsō was established under the ritsuryō system to store rice and goods collected as taxes.
The Shōsōin is famous as a remnant of the former shōsō storehouses.