Tachikawa Family Residence and Store (Bentencho, Hakodate

Tachikawa Family Residence Store: A Meiji-Era Merchant Legacy in Hakodate

Standing proudly on a quiet street in Hakodate's Benten-chō district, the Tachikawa Family Residence Store (太刀川家住宅店舗) is a remarkable example of Meiji-period commercial architecture. Built in 1901 by Zenkichi Tachikawa, a prosperous rice merchant who also engaged in fishing and shipping enterprises, this two-story brick-and-plaster warehouse-style building blends Japanese and Western architectural traditions in a manner that is uniquely characteristic of Hakodate's treaty port heritage. Designated as a national Important Cultural Property in 1971—the first private residence in Hokkaido to receive this honor—the Tachikawa Family Residence Store stands as an enduring testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and cultural cosmopolitanism of Meiji-era Hakodate.

Historical Background: The Rise of the Tachikawa Family

The Tachikawa family traces its roots to Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture), specifically the city of Nagaoka. The family's second-generation head, Zennosuke Tachikawa, traveled to Hakodate (then known as Hakodatē) during the late Edo period at the age of 23. There, he established a rice shop and quickly expanded into the lucrative kitamae-bune (northern shipping route) trade, operating sailing vessels that carried grain and salmon from Hokkaido to Echigo and returned laden with rice and timber.

Through shrewd business acumen and diversification into fishing, shipping, and land ownership—with properties stretching from Date to Tokachi and fishing grounds in Hiroo—the Tachikawa family amassed considerable wealth over the generations. It was the first-generation Zenkichi Tachikawa (the family counted generations differently from their Echigo origins) who commissioned the construction of this impressive residence and shop in 1901, engaging local master builder Sanosuke Yamamoto as both designer and contractor, with Eijirō Itō assisting in construction.

Why It Was Designated as an Important Cultural Property

The Tachikawa Family Residence Store was designated a national Important Cultural Property on December 28, 1971, in recognition of several outstanding qualities. The building represents one of the finest surviving examples of the kura-zukuri (warehouse-style) merchant architecture that once lined Hakodate's waterfront commercial district. Its hybrid construction—combining Western brick-and-timber-truss structural techniques with the traditional Japanese storehouse exterior—was an innovative response to the constant threat of fire in Hakodate, a city devastated by repeated conflagrations throughout its history.

The designation specifically recognized the building's exceptional design quality as a Japanese-Western hybrid (waiyō secchū) commercial structure. The interior, fundamentally Japanese in character with select Western elements, and the exterior, featuring Western-style arched openings on the ground floor beneath a distinctly Japanese second story, together represent a typological blend found almost exclusively in Meiji-era treaty port towns. The building also survived the devastating Hakodate Great Fire of 1907, which destroyed approximately one-third of the city, proving the effectiveness of its fireproof design.

Architectural Highlights and Points of Interest

The Tachikawa Family Residence Store is a brick-built, two-story structure with a hip roof covered in traditional san-gawara (interlocking) tiles, with a total building footprint of 116.6 square meters. The exterior walls are constructed of brick finished with white plaster, giving the building its distinctive pale, elegant appearance. The most immediately striking features are the massive udatsu (fire-prevention parapet walls) flanking both sides of the façade—oversized versions of the traditional firebreak walls found on merchant buildings throughout Japan.

The ground floor features three elegant Western-style arches supported by iron columns, creating a series of wide, welcoming openings that originally served the commercial function of the shop. Above the arches, the second floor transitions to a purely Japanese aesthetic, with traditional window treatments and wooden detailing that create a fascinating visual dialogue between East and West.

Inside, the building centers on a space traditionally called the "jōya" (帳場), the merchant's counting room, which features a dramatic two-story open void rising to the full height of the building. A Western-style box staircase connects the two levels, and the interior woodwork—including massive zelkova (keyaki) single-panel sliding doors—showcases the exceptional craftsmanship of Meiji-era builders. The exposed beams, columns, and timber framing throughout the interior are particularly noteworthy for their robust elegance.

The Adjacent Western-Style Villa

Beside the main store building stands the Tachikawa Family Western-Style Villa, constructed in 1915 (Taishō 4) by the fourth-generation Zenkichi Tachikawa as a dedicated reception hall for entertaining distinguished guests. This wooden, two-story building with an irimoya (hip-and-gable) tiled roof features light green clapboard siding and displays the exuberant decorative vocabulary of the Taishō era.

Notable details include Corinthian-style columns supporting Hakodate's characteristic triple-arch entrance porch, deeply carved botanical motifs on the gable boards and eave brackets, and an interior that once hosted cultural and international exchanges with prominent figures from Japan and abroad. While not itself designated as a national Important Cultural Property, the villa is recognized as a Hakodate City Designated Landscape Building and is now operated as a private guesthouse offering whole-building rental for overnight stays.

Visitor Information

The Tachikawa Family Residence Store is located along a quiet street one block north of Hakodate's main streetcar route, in the Benten-chō district near the western end of the city's historic waterfront. The exterior of the building can be viewed freely at any time and is particularly striking when illuminated at night.

The interior of the main store building is not open for general public admission. Since 2019, the building has been operated as a rental space available for meetings, parties, exhibitions, photography sessions, and other private events. The adjacent Western-style villa operates as a guesthouse offering whole-building accommodation with bedrooms, a living-dining area, and kitchen facilities. Reservations for either facility can be made by contacting the property directly.

To reach the property, take the Hakodate City Streetcar Line 5 (bound for Hakodate Dock-mae) and alight at Ōmachi Station, from which the building is approximately a 3-minute walk. Alternatively, it is about a 4-minute walk from the Yayoi-chō bus stop. Free parking for up to six vehicles is available behind the building. From JR Hakodate Station, the journey by streetcar takes about 10 minutes; from Hakodate Airport, approximately 30 minutes by car.

Surrounding Attractions

The Tachikawa Family Residence Store is ideally situated within Hakodate's historic western district, offering easy access to many of the city's most celebrated attractions. The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses, a popular complex of restored 19th-century warehouses now housing shops, restaurants, and event spaces, are about a 10-minute walk to the east along the waterfront. The area around the warehouses is also home to the Hakodate Bay Area, one of the city's most photogenic neighborhoods.

A short walk uphill brings visitors to the Motomachi district, where iconic landmarks such as the Old Hakodate Ward Public Hall (a national Important Cultural Property built in 1910), the Hakodate Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Motomachi Church, and the Old British Consulate stand amid tree-lined streets and scenic hillside slopes. The famous Hachiman-zaka slope, often ranked as Japan's most beautiful urban slope, offers sweeping views down to the harbor.

Nearby historical points of interest include the Perry Meeting Place Monument, commemorating the site where Commodore Matthew Perry negotiated during his 1854 visit to Hakodate, and the replica of the Hakodatemaru, a Western-style schooner built during the late Edo period. Mount Hakodate, renowned for its spectacular nighttime panorama regarded as one of the world's great night views, is also within easy reach by ropeway or bus.