What the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2 Is
The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2 is an earthen-walled storehouse of 1835 in the Kawasaki district of Ise City, Mie Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 August 2001. Its building area is only 25 square metres, but an ink inscription on the ridge beam carries the date, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the oldest building on the compound whose construction year is known.
It stands north of the main house, joined to the reception room by a corridor running back from the tatami rooms. That position fixed its role. What it held was clothing, not stock.
Why It Was Listed
The criterion here is value as a model of design. The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2 is built in Dozo-zukuri, with a gabled roof running north to south under Hongawarabuki tiles and walls faced in blackened weatherboard. The storehouses of the Ogawa compound are graded by use, from the commercial stores along the river to the private ones deep in the plot, and this is the innermost of them.
The dated ridge beam is what carries the listing. Most buildings here are known only within a decade or two. Having one structure fixed to a single year gives a reference point for reasoning about the sequence of the rest.
What to Look For
The double doors on the south face are the front of the building. The thick leaves swing apart and were meant to be shut against a fire reaching the compound, not to look decorative. They are usually open, which is the moment to look at the depth of the door and the section of its frame from the side.
The walls are clad in blackened boards rather than left as white plaster. Board-wrapped storehouses are the rule rather than the exception on this site, and South Storehouses 2 and 3 share the treatment. Ise City records that the interior now serves as a gallery of documents and tools relating to learning and commerce in Ise.
Visiting
This is one of the few storehouses on the site whose interior is open, and admission covers it. Following the corridor north from the tatami rooms of the main house brings you to the door, which means you experience the original circulation of the compound rather than approaching from outside.
For the exterior, stand in the courtyard. The tea room is the immediate neighbour to the west, so from the courtyard the two read together. Photography rules vary with the documents on display, so ask at reception before shooting inside.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2 built?
- In 1835, the sixth year of the Tempo era. The date is written in ink on the ridge beam, which makes it the oldest securely dated building in the compound.
- What was the Inner Storehouse 2 used for?
- It was the clothing store of the household, not a commercial warehouse. A corridor linked it to the tatami rooms of the main house. Today it holds an exhibition of documents and commercial tools.
- Can visitors enter the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2?
- Yes. The interior is one of the display rooms and is covered by museum admission. Parts may be closed while an exhibition is being changed over.
- How is the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner Storehouse 2 constructed?
- It is earthen-walled dozo-zukuri construction of 25 square metres, with a north to south gabled roof in heavy tiles and walls faced in blackened weatherboard. Double doors open on the south side.
- Why is this small storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was listed on 28 August 2001 under registration number 24-0036, on the criterion of value as a model of design.
Basic Information
| Name | Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum Inner 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 25 square metres |
| Owner | Ise City |
| Public Access | Open within the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum (adult admission 350 yen; closed Tuesdays) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: 伊勢河崎商人館内蔵二
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002267
- Ise City cultural property page: 伊勢河崎商人館内蔵二
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/bunkazai_shiseki/bunkazai/yukei/1005922.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
