Where the warehouse block began
Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 (Rehearsal Hall), 上川倉庫二号倉庫 in Japanese, on Miyashita-dori in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, is a single-storey brick warehouse with a timber frame, built in 1900; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 20, 2001 (number 01-0040).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 as the first building of the group to be completed, two years after Asahikawa Station opened. Construction of the block began here and ran until Warehouse No. 11 was finished in 1913.
Gable end on the corner
Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 holds the north corner of the site and shows its gable end, the triangular end wall, to the street. Nos. 1 and 8 on Miyashita-dori turn their long sides outward; No. 2 closes the corner of the block with its gable instead. Warehouse No. 3 stands alongside it at the west corner.
Its building area is 165 m², and the agency describes it as a timber-framed brick warehouse of the same size as No. 1. The roof is metal sheet.
Three arches on the inner wall
The best of Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 faces inward, not toward the street. In the middle of the long wall facing the inside of the block is an entrance under a three-centred arch, built four bricks deep, with a segmental-arched opening on each side.
A three-centred arch combines arcs drawn from three centres into a curve flatter than a semicircle. It spans a wide opening without rising high, which suits the door of a warehouse where goods went in and out all day. With the two segmental arches beside it, the wall carries three arches of different sizes.
Registration and use
Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 was registered on November 20, 2001, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
The agency records that the building serves as a music rehearsal space, and the Asahikawa Design Association lists the rehearsal hall in the block as a practice room for music, dance and other uses.
Visiting
The building is a working rehearsal hall, and we found no information on interior visits as of October 2026. The gable end can be seen from the street and the arched entrance from the passage inside the block.
You may hear music while a rehearsal is on. If you stop at the entrance to look or take photographs, leave the doorway clear for people using the hall.
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Q&A
- Where is Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2?
- On Miyashita-dori in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, at the north corner of the Kamikawa Warehouses site, with its gable end to the street.
- When was Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 built?
- In 1900. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs it was the first building of the Kamikawa Warehouses to be completed.
- What is distinctive about Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2?
- The entrance in the middle of its inner long wall, a three-centred arch four bricks deep, flanked by two segmental-arched openings.
- What is Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 used for today?
- It is a rehearsal hall used for music and other practice.
- Can visitors go inside Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2?
- We found no information on interior visits as of October 2026. The exterior and arched entrance can be seen from the street and the inner passage.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 (Rehearsal Hall); 上川倉庫二号倉庫（リハーサルホール） |
|---|---|
| Location | 1604-1 and 1604-2 Miyashita-dori 11-chome, Asahikawa City, Hokkaido |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 01-0040 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2001/11/20 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick with timber frame, 1 storey, metal sheet roof; building area 165 m² |
| Owner | Kamikawa Warehouse Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In use as a rehearsal hall; no interior visits announced; exterior visible from the street and inner passage |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 (Rehearsal Hall)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002493
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kamikawa Warehouse No. 2 (Rehearsal Hall)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/182403
- Asahikawa Design Association — Kuraimu
- https://ada-jp.org/kuraimu.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07
