A Meiji Store That Was Moved
The Goto Textile East Storehouse (後藤織物東蔵, Gotō Orimono Higashigura) is a two-storey timber store from the early Meiji era in Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, moved to its present spot around 1925 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2006. It stands north of the Factory toward the east, facing south, with a building area of 64 square metres.
It measures 6 by 2 Ken, ridge running east to west, under a gabled roof of pantiles. A lean-to (Geya) 1 ken deep runs the full length of the south side as a front porch, and the interior is split into two rooms. The walls are clapboard held by battens.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the move to around 1925; Kiryu City says around 1926. Either way, an older Meiji building was shifted and reset just as the compound was being reorganised into its present layout.
Why It Was Registered
The storehouse was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. With the Main House, it is one of only two Goto buildings that go back to the early Meiji era, and it is the one that has been moved.
Despite the name, the Goto Textile East Storehouse is not a fireproof earthen-walled storehouse. Kiryu City records that the family called it the kura and kept tableware, furnishings and bedding in it, but its walls are timber boards rather than thick clay and plaster. It was a store for everyday household things, not a strongroom built against fire.
That the building was moved by Hikiya and then listed as it stands is itself instructive. Rather than tear down an old building, the family rolled it to a new position behind the factory and gave it a new role, a practical habit of keeping useful buildings in service.
What to Look For
See it beside the West Storehouse. Both are 6 by 2 ken with a 1-ken lean-to on the south, but the east one rises to two storeys under tiles while the west one is single-storey under sheet iron. Side by side, the difference between a Meiji store and a Showa one shows in height and roofing.
Look closely at the walls. Horizontal boards overlap and are pinned by vertical battens, the same finish as the factory. If the word kura makes you expect white plaster, the timber comes as a surprise, and it is the visible proof that this is not an earthen storehouse.
The south lean-to is closed off as a porch, and the interior has two rooms. Compared with the undivided West Storehouse, you can see a different routine: goods handed over at the porch, then put away in the rooms behind.
Visiting
The Goto Textile East Storehouse stands beside the West Storehouse at the back of the site, north of the Factory. Since it lies beyond the weaving shed, ask when you book whether the tour goes this far and whether the interior is shown, and check on photography too.
Directions, booking and opening details for the whole mill are on the Goto Textile Mill page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Goto Textile East Storehouse
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Goto Textile East Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji era. It was moved to its present position around 1925 (around 1926 according to Kiryu City).
- Is the Goto Textile East Storehouse an earthen fireproof storehouse?
- No. Although the family called it the kura, its walls are timber clapboard held by battens.
- What was kept in the Goto Textile East Storehouse?
- According to Kiryu City, tableware, furnishings and bedding.
- Can I see the Goto Textile East Storehouse?
- It may be included in a reserved tour of Goto Textile Mill. Because it is at the back of the site, confirm the tour route and photography rules when you book.
- What is the layout of the Goto Textile East Storehouse?
- Two rooms inside, with a lean-to 1 ken deep along the whole south side serving as a front porch.
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Textile East Storehouse (後藤織物東蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 730 Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 10-0162 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 64 square metres |
| Owner | Texte Kiryu Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open by advance reservation (weekdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 後藤織物東蔵 (Goto Textile East Storehouse)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005413
- Goto Orimono (Kiryu City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1007533.html
- Goto Orimono: Factory, Former Kettle House, Storage Shed, Exhibition Room, East and West Storehouses (Kiryu City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/007/533/02-gotopdf.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
