A Merchant House Facing Hirosaki Castle
The Ishiba Family Residence (石場家住宅（青森県弘前市亀甲町）) is a merchant house of the first half of the 18th century in Kamenokomachi, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 23, 1973 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records 18.1 by 18.2 metres, partly two-storey, with a wing of 5.7 by 8.3 metres projecting on the east, designated together with a board fence; designation number 01870.
A Merchant to the Hirosaki Domain
The Ishiba family were merchants who supplied the Hirosaki domain, dealing mainly in straw goods (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Aomori Prefecture says the shop traded in straw and household wares under the sign of a circle enclosing a character. The house stands at the south-west corner of a large plot, nine bays across under a hip-and-gable roof with its gable to the street, at the crossroads facing the Kamenoko Gate on the north side of Hirosaki Castle.
A komise, a covered walkway, runs along the whole front of this large house with its formal rooms (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The timbers are heavy, and the beams over the earth-floored area are especially powerful. The prefecture adds that a fifteen-mat corner room runs along the street, and that the earthen floor and well inside keep the feel of the Edo period.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency notes that, although much altered, it is valuable as one of the few surviving merchant houses of the region.
What to Look For
Look for the komise along the front and the powerful beams over the earth floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
According to Aomori Prefecture, it is privately owned and open to the public for a fee, with irregular closing days; enquiries go to the owner or the Hirosaki city board of education.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- The Agency says the first half of the 18th century; the prefecture says the late Edo period.
- What did the family trade in?
- Mainly straw goods, as suppliers to the Hirosaki domain.
- What is a komise?
- A covered walkway along the front, here running the full width.
- Can I visit?
- Yes, for a fee, with irregular closing days (Aomori Prefecture).
- When was the Ishiba Family Residence designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 23, 1973 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ishiba Family Residence (石場家住宅（青森県弘前市亀甲町）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 88 Kamenokomachi, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1973/02/23 (Showa 48) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 1 board fence) |
| Dimensions | 18.1 × 18.2 m, partly 2 storeys; east wing 5.7 × 8.3 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Open for a fee, irregular closing days (Aomori Prefecture) |
References
- Ishiba Family Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/68
- Ishiba Family Residence (Aomori Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/e-bunka/jubun_kenzoubutu_16.html
Last verified: 2026.10.21