A Two-Story Storehouse Backing onto the River
The Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse (旧細川家住宅川蔵, Kyū Hosokawa-ke Jūtaku Kawagura) at 136 Shinmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture, is an early Meiji-period clay-walled storehouse that was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on January 8, 2009. It stands at the far south end of a long, narrow plot that runs back from the Hase Kaidō, closest of all the buildings to the Nabari River, with its front facing north.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse is a 2-story dozō, a timber frame sealed in clay and plaster, measuring 4.9 by 4.4 meters with a building area of 21 square meters. The gabled roof is turned so that the triangular gable end forms the front, a layout called tsumairi, and it is covered in sheet metal. It is the only one of the four registered structures without a tile roof. Nabari City gives the floor area of both stories as 42.52 square meters.
With a nearly square footprint and two stories stacked on top, it reads as the tallest of the storehouses on the property. Nabari City renovated it in 2008 along with the other buildings.
Registered for the Riverbank View
The Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, under number 24-0076.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs ties that judgment to the Nabari River flowing behind the plot, noting that the storehouse adds character to the riverbank scene. The middle storehouse, registered on the same grounds, shapes the view inside the property; the riverside storehouse shapes the view from outside, on the river side. Its Japanese name, kawagura, literally "river storehouse," most likely comes from this position.
Gable Front and Fireproof Doors
The front of the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse is its gable end. The entrance is set toward the east side and closes with double doors in kakego-nuri, a storehouse finish in which the door edges and the frame are plastered in matching steps so that they lock together when shut and leave no gap for fire to enter.
On either side of the doorway the wall is finished in namako-kabe, with white plaster joints running in a grid over flat tiles. The middle storehouse has its entrance toward the west, while this one has it toward the east, so the two storehouses mirror each other.
On the upper floor, both the front and back gable ends have a window, each sheltered by a small canopy. Nabari City's renovation plan calls for replacing the cedar boards on the lower outer walls, which have warped and lifted their nails, showing that part of the base of the wall is protected with timber cladding.
Visiting the Riverside Storehouse
The Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse cannot be entered while the whole property is closed for renovation, which began on April 1, 2026, and is planned to last up to one year. From the Hase Kaidō it is hidden behind the main house and the middle storehouse.
On Nabari City's site plan, an open area that doubles as a parking lot lies beside the storehouse, and a city street runs along the south side of the plot by the Nabari River. During the closure, do not enter the grounds; view it only from public roads such as that street. From the river side you see the back gable and its canopied upper window. To face the front doors you will need to wait until the property reopens.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- How is the Japanese name of the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse read?
- It is read Kyū Hosokawa-ke Jūtaku Kawagura. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database also gives the reading kawagura, not kawakura.
- Can I visit the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse now?
- No. The whole property has been closed for renovation since April 1, 2026, for up to one year, and the storehouse cannot be seen from the Hase Kaidō.
- Why is the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse a registered cultural property?
- It was registered on January 8, 2009, for its contribution to the historic landscape, because it adds character to the bank of the Nabari River behind the plot. Its number is 24-0076.
- What should I look for at the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse?
- The stepped fireproof double doors on the east side of the front, the namako walls beside them, and the canopied windows in both upper gable ends. It is the only building on the property with a sheet-metal roof.
- How large is the Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse?
- It is a 2-story clay-walled storehouse measuring 4.9 by 4.4 meters, with a building area of 21 square meters and a gabled sheet-metal roof.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 136 Shinmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered January 8, 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse, 2 stories, sheet-metal roof; building area 21 square meters (4.9 m by 4.4 m) |
| Owner | Nabari City |
| Public Access | Closed for renovation (from 2026, up to 1 year); not visible from the Hase Kaido |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hosokawa Family Residence Riverside Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007507
- Former Hosokawa Residence Yanase-shuku, Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Nabari City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/070/090/270/20150401085353.html
- Call for proposals and selection result for the use of Yanase-shuku (Nabari City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/20250521154708.html
- Appendix 1: Site plan, floor plans, elevations and sections (Nabari City, Japanese PDF)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/bessi-1.haitizu.pdf
- Appendix 2: Planned works for the proposed use (Nabari City, Japanese PDF)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/bessi-2.kouji.pdf
- Temporary closure of Yanase-shuku for renovation (Nabari City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s044/010/050/10/070/090/20191011144419.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
