About the Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse
The Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse (若菜家住宅煉瓦作業蔵, Wakana-ke Jūtaku Renga Sagyōgura) is a two-story brick farm workshop and storehouse built in 1910 at the Wakana Family Residence in Iwatsuki-machi, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on September 10, 2010.
It was extended in 1932 and renovated around 1985. Standing in the southeast corner of the plot, it has a building area of 138 square meters, the largest of the four Wakana storehouses, and it is also the oldest: the family's brick building program began here.
A Row of Arches
The core of the Wakana workshop storehouse is a two-story block 13 meters long and 6.0 meters deep, with a gabled roof of interlocking tiles running north to south. Lean-to aisles, or Geya, wrap its west, south and north sides.
The west side is the one to study. A run of brick arches opens along the lean-to, and at the center the roof steps up into a small gable of its own, breaking the long wall into a rhythm and marking where the front is. The Agency for Cultural Affairs also points to the use of glazed bricks, mixed with plain ones to vary the surface.
For a building made for threshing and storage, that much care over arches and rooflines is what sets it apart.
From Farm Work to Family Museum
According to local tourism information, the Brick Workshop Storehouse was where the Wakana household processed straw, threshed and polished rice, and it doubled as a store for grain and hay. It was the working heart of a family that has farmed this land for generations.
Today its upper floor keeps and displays the family's tableware for weddings and funerals along with other heirlooms. Some listings describe the ground floor as a farm produce stand.
Visiting the Brick Workshop Storehouse
The Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse is one of the two buildings you can enter on a visit to the Wakana storehouses (200 yen for adults, free for students), and the upper-floor display is open to visitors.
For the exterior, stand square to the arcaded west side. Published sources do not say which part was added in 1932. No photography policy is published either, so ask when you arrive.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse built?
- It was built in 1910, extended in 1932 and renovated around 1985, making it the oldest of the four Wakana brick storehouses.
- How big is the Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse?
- It is a two-story brick building whose main block measures 13 by 6.0 meters, with a building area of 138 square meters and lean-to aisles on three sides.
- What was the Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse used for?
- Local tourism information says it was used for straw work, threshing and rice polishing, and for storing grain and hay. Its upper floor now displays the family's ceremonial tableware and heirlooms.
- Can you go inside the Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse?
- Yes. A visit to the Wakana storehouses (200 yen for adults, free for students) includes the interior and the upper-floor display. Ask on site about photography.
- Why is the Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, with the Agency for Cultural Affairs noting its row of arched openings and its varied use of glazed bricks.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 3819 Katsukosaku, Miyazu, Iwatsuki-machi, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered September 10, 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Length 13 meters, depth 6.0 meters, building area 138 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Interior open to visitors (adults 200 yen, students free) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008257
- Cultural Heritage Online: Wakana Family Residence Brick Workshop Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/223909
- List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures) in Fukushima Prefecture (Fukushima Prefecture, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/748318.pdf
- Gurutto Aizu: Mitsuya Brick Storehouses (Wakana Family) (Japanese)
- https://www.gurutto-aizu.com/detail/526/index.html
- Fukulabo: Mitsuya Brick Storehouses (Wakana Family) (Japanese)
- https://www.fukulabo.net/shop/shop.shtml?s=9696
Last verified: 2026.10.04
