A Riverside Merchant's Brick Storehouse
The Gokiso Brick Warehouse (五木宗レンガ蔵, Gokisō renga-gura) is a three-storey brick storehouse of the mid-Meiji period in Mitsukaido-motomachi, Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 28, 2000. It belonged to the Gokita Soemon family, one of the river-port wholesalers that grew up on the left bank of the Kinu River.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a three-storey brick building with a building area of 18 square metres; its registration number is 08-0028. The Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education gives a floor area of 54 square metres and a height of 10 m, and lists the owner as private.
Why It Was Registered
The Gokiso Brick Warehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it is fondly known as the Gokiso brick storehouse and is carefully built, with over-fired bricks used for the base courses, the string course and around the openings.
According to the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education, Mitsukaido prospered from the late Edo period into Meiji as a river port, shipping rice and other goods to Edo and receiving daily goods and Edo culture on the return voyages. Some of its wholesalers were very wealthy, the Gokita family among them. The family heads took the name Soemon generation after generation, so the house became known as Gokiso, and the storehouse took the same name. Said to date from the mid-Meiji period, it was a landmark on the Kinu River from the start.
What to Look For
Outside, look at the base courses, the string courses between storeys and the brickwork around windows and doors, all in over-fired brick, the details the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out as careful work.
According to the prefecture, the entrance is on the south side of the ground floor, and the floors are linked by a staircase on the north side. The Agency notes that the interior has been structurally reinforced for use as a museum and similar purposes.
Visiting the Gokiso Brick Warehouse
The Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education reports that the storehouse is used to display materials on the Gokita family and as a gallery, and is a well-loved symbol of Motomachi. No official information on opening days or hours could be confirmed, so check before visiting. The address is 3421-1 Mitsukaido-motomachi, Joso City (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Q&A
- When was the Gokiso Brick Warehouse built?
- It is said to date from the mid-Meiji period.
- When was it registered as a cultural property?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 28, 2000.
- Where does the name Gokiso come from?
- The heads of the Gokita family took the name Soemon for generations, so the house was called Gokiso.
- How large is the storehouse?
- A three-storey brick building with a building area of 18 square metres, 10 m tall.
- Can you visit the Gokiso Brick Warehouse?
- It is used for exhibits and as a gallery, but there is no official schedule; check before you go.
Basic Information
| Name | Gokiso Brick Warehouse (五木宗レンガ蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3421-1 Mitsukaido-motomachi, Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/4/28 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, three storeys, building area 18 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Used for exhibits and as a gallery (no official schedule) |
References
- Gokiso Brick Warehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001656
- Gokiso Brick Warehouse (Cultural Properties of Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education)
- https://kyoiku.pref.ibaraki.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-registered-6527/
Last verified: 2026.10.06