What the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 Is
The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 is an earthen-walled storehouse of 1892 in the Kawasaki district of Ise City, Mie Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 August 2001. Its building area is 81 square metres. It occupies the middle position among the three storehouses facing the main house across the street, and it is the largest of the three.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a former sake store, and Ise City says the same. Sake handled by Ogawa Shoten moved from this building to the boats, and from the boats into the town.
Why It Was Listed
The criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. Standing at the centre of the three river-facing storehouses, the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 anchors the view from the water. The roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable in Hongawarabuki tiles, and the walls are blackened weatherboard, which the Agency describes as giving the building considerable weight.
Its date is known because an inscription appears on the Onigawara ridge-end tile. South Storehouse 1 and Inner Storehouse 2 carry their dates on the ridge beam; this one announces itself from the roof. Having 1892 fixed up there also settles the sequence with South Storehouse 3.
What to Look For
Look at the stonework of the plinth. The building sits on a carefully made Nozurazumi base of undressed natural stone, laid without cutting the faces flat and stabilised by fit rather than by finish. The contrast between the black boards above and the grey stone below sets the character of the elevation.
A doorway opens in the north gable end with a canopy above it, so that goods could be moved in and out during rain. The inscription on the ridge-end tile is hard to read from ground level, but the shape of the tile itself is visible from the street.
Visiting
The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 is let to shops and is accessible during trading hours. It is one of the buildings where the roof frame of a storehouse can be seen from below, which is worth a look before the merchandise. Shop hours do not always match the museum's own.
From outside, check the stone plinth and the canopy on the north gable. The plinth only reads close up, so walk the passage between the storehouses. From the opposite bank of the Seta the three backs line up and the scale of the middle one becomes clear. Photography rules vary from shop to shop.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 built?
- In 1892. The date is inscribed on the ridge-end tile of the roof.
- What was the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 used for?
- Both the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Ise City record it as a former sake store. It is now let to shops.
- What is notable about the foundation?
- It stands on a carefully built plinth of undressed natural stone, whose grey mass contrasts with the blackened weatherboarding above.
- Can visitors enter this storehouse?
- Yes, during shop trading hours. It is one of the buildings where the storehouse roof frame is visible from inside.
- How large is it?
- The building area is 81 square metres, the largest of the three storehouses facing the main house across the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 2 |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-25-32 Kawasaki, Ise City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 28 August 2001 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled construction; building area 81 square metres |
| Owner | Ise City |
| Public Access | Open as one of the museum's shop storehouses (adult admission 350 yen; closed Tuesdays) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: 伊勢河崎商人館南蔵二
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002262
- Ise City cultural property page: 伊勢河崎商人館南蔵二
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/bunkazai_shiseki/bunkazai/yukei/1005917.html
- Ise City: Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum, outline and management
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/shisetsu/syouninkan/1005012.html
- Ise City: Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum facility guide
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/shisetsu/syouninkan/index.html
Last verified: 2026.09.14
