Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Gunma

Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse

Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse: A Store with a Front Room

A mid-Meiji two-storey pawn storehouse on the Kawabata estate in Fujioka, Gunma, whose tatami front room under the eaves shows how pledged goods were received.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Gunma

What Is the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse?

The Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse (川端家住宅質蔵, Kawabata-ke Jūtaku Shichigura) is a two-storey storehouse on the west side of the Kawabata estate in Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture, standing just behind the Rear Storehouse; it was built around the middle Meiji period and registered in 2001 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

It runs north to south under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki tiles, with a building area of 79 square meters, the same size as the Rear Storehouse in front of it. The two stand side by side along the west of the compound.

A shichigura is a storehouse for goods taken in pledge. The name and plan of this building indicate that, alongside farming and the silk trade, the Kawabata family also ran a pawnbroking business.

Why the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse Was Registered

The Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion "a model of form."

The Agency for Cultural Affairs draws attention to the roofed area along its east side. The southern end serves as the passage to the door, and the rest is a tatami-floored front room. The Agency sees the building’s character as a pawn storehouse expressed right there.

A matted room in front of the store would have been where customers were received and pledged goods examined. This is not just a warehouse but a storehouse that doubled as a place of business, and that is what makes it distinctive.

Highlights of the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse

Both gable ends of the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse have windows with hinged double shutters on the upper and lower floors, giving the gables a clear, stacked composition.

The eaves, by contrast, are plain. Next to the Rear Storehouse, with its molded plaster cornice, the Pawn Storehouse keeps ornament to a minimum and presents itself as a working building. Seen together, two storehouses of the same size show two levels of finish.

According to the owners’ website, the Pawn Storehouse, like its neighbor, has been fitted out as a comfortable interior one could live in. A storehouse built with a front room for receiving people has found a new use in the same spirit.

Visiting the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse

The Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse is on the west side of the estate and cannot be seen at close range from outside. The residence is private and not open to the public.

Whether the front room or the fitted-out interior can be seen is something to confirm when booking one of the owners’ reservation-only services for filming or events.

For history, layout and transport, see the Kawabata Family Residence page.

Q&A

QWhat is the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse?: AA two-storey gabled storehouse for goods held in pledge, 79 square meters in area, built around the middle Meiji period.

QWhat shows that the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse was used for pawnbroking?: AUnder the east roof, the southern end leads to the door and the rest is a tatami front room, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs links to its role as a pawn storehouse.

QHow does the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse differ from the Rear Storehouse?: AThey are the same size, but the Rear Storehouse has a molded plaster cornice while the Pawn Storehouse has plain eaves.

QWhen was the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse registered?: AIn 2001, as "a model of form."

QCan I see inside the Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse?: AIt is not open to the public. The owners say it has been furnished for living, and access is by reservation only.

Basic Information

Name	Kawabata Family Residence Pawn Storehouse
Location	391 Tateishishinden, Fujioka City, Gunma Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	2001 (Heisei 13)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 79 m²
Owner	Kawabata Hozensha
Public Access	Not open to the public (private home; reservation-only use for filming and events)