What Is the Akai Family Residence Storehouse?
The Akai Family Residence Storehouse (赤井家住宅土蔵, Akai-ke Jūtaku Dozo) in Ueno-Shinobicho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture, is a two-story fireproof storehouse in the Dozo-zukuri style dated to 1895, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on September 10, 2010.
It stands in the southeast corner of the lot, measuring 5.8 by 3.8 meters with a building area of 22 square meters, under a gabled pantile roof. It faces Nakanotachimachi-dori just south of the nagayamon gate.
The sources differ on its date. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1895 as the year of construction, while Iga City's heritage assessment says the storehouse was repaired in 1895, which leaves open the possibility that it is older. Both statements are given here.
Why It Was Registered
The Akai Family Residence Storehouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises it as a carefully made storehouse, finished with attention to detail.
It anchors the southern end of the property's street front. An earthen wall links it to the gate on the north and another runs west from it. In the line of gate, wall and storehouse along the street, the two-story Akai storehouse is the tallest element.
What to Look For
The storehouse rests on a base of cut stone. Above it, the lower walls are clad to waist height in vertical boards that protect the earthen walls from rain and splashing mud. The upper walls are covered with white sheet iron, described in the records as a temporary cladding.
The detail not to miss is the ground-floor doorway on the west side. Its frame is built up in white Shikkui plaster, and a small roof shelters it, carried on Mochiokuri brackets carved with decorative scrolls (eyo). This much ornament on a storehouse door is what the Agency means by careful workmanship.
Note that the doorway faces west, into the compound. From the street the Akai Family Residence Storehouse shows closed walls; walk around to the garden side and it presents a very different face.
Visiting
The street-facing east wall of the Akai Family Residence Storehouse can be seen from Nakanotachimachi-dori at any time. The west doorway and its carved brackets are inside the grounds, so visit during free viewing hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Wednesdays and December 29 to January 3), and walk around from the garden.
The interior is rented out as a small room. Iga City lists a fee of 410 yen per morning, afternoon or evening session, or 1,020 yen for a full day. It is closed while in use, so call the Akai Family Residence (+81-595-51-7578) if you hope to see inside.
No official photography policy could be found. Ask at the reception desk before photographing the interior.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Akai Family Residence Storehouse
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Akai Family Residence Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1895. Iga City's heritage assessment, however, says it was repaired in 1895, so it may be older.
- How large is the Akai Family Residence Storehouse?
- It is a two-story dozo-zukuri storehouse with a gabled pantile roof, 5.8 by 3.8 meters, with a building area of 22 square meters.
- Why is the Akai Family Residence Storehouse a registered cultural property?
- It was recognized as a carefully built storehouse that contributes to the historic townscape and was registered on September 10, 2010.
- What details should I look for on the Akai Family Residence Storehouse?
- Look for the cut-stone base, the vertical board cladding at the foot of the walls, the plastered door frame on the west side and the carved brackets under its small roof.
- Can I go inside the Akai Family Residence Storehouse?
- The interior is rented out and closed while in use. Iga City lists 410 yen per session or 1,020 yen for a full day.
Basic Information
| Name | Akai Family Residence Storehouse (赤井家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2491-1 Ueno-Shinobicho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered September 10, 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-story dozo-zukuri storehouse, gabled pantile roof, building area 22 square meters (5.8 meters by 3.8 meters) |
| Owner | Iga City |
| Public Access | Open (exterior from the street at any time; grounds free from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed Wednesdays and December 29 to January 3) |
References
- Akai Family Residence Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008300
- Heritage assessment of the Akai Family Residence (Iga City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.iga.lg.jp/cmsfiles/contents/0000003/3149/syoken.pdf
- Floor plan of the Akai Family Residence (Iga City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.iga.lg.jp/cmsfiles/contents/0000003/3149/heimennzu02.pdf
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property Akai Family Residence (Iga City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.iga.lg.jp/0000003149.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
