What the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1 Is
The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1 is an earthen-walled storehouse of the middle Meiji period in the Kawasaki district of Ise City, Mie Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 August 2001. It covers 97 square metres on the north side of the plot, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it was used mainly for making pickles.
A storehouse is normally where things are kept. This one is where things were made. The household's main trade was wholesaling sake, and it was pickling on the same plot. The building records a business that ran on more than one line.
Why It Was Listed
The criterion is value as a model of design, and the interest is in the section. A single-storey front room on the south joins a two-storey rear room on the north, so the number of floors changes within one structure. The roof is a north to south gable in Hongawarabuki tiles and the walls are boarded.
Two windows open high in the north wall. Storehouses normally avoid openings low down, but a workroom needs light and air, and high windows are the compromise. The Agency for Cultural Affairs presents the building as evidence of the range of functions a merchant household carried.
What to Look For
Inside the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1, find the line where the front room ends and the rear begins. The ceiling lifts as you pass from the single-storey part into the two-storey part. Pickling needs uninterrupted floor to work on; storing what has been pickled needs height to stack into. The change in use shows up as a change in section.
At 97 square metres this is second only to North Storehouse 2, at 102 square metres, among the storehouses here. Ise City records that it now operates as the Kawasaki Kakugoza, a hall let out for lectures and concerts.
Visiting
Because the building is let for events, the interior is open to museum visitors on days when nothing is booked and closed when something is. Checking the event calendar before travelling is worth the trouble.
From outside, look for the high windows on the north wall. Walking round to the north side of the plot shows North Storehouse 1 and North Storehouse 2 standing against one another, and the run of the two roofs reads best from that angle. What may be photographed depends on the event in progress, so ask at reception.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- What was the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1 used for?
- Mainly for making pickles, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was a workshop rather than a warehouse.
- How is the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1 built?
- Earthen-walled construction of 97 square metres, combining a single-storey front room on the south with a two-storey rear room on the north, under a north to south tiled gable with boarded walls.
- Can visitors go inside?
- Yes, on days when the hall is not booked. It is let out for events, and a booking closes it to general visitors.
- Why are the windows set so high?
- Two windows open high in the north wall. A storehouse used for manufacturing needed light and ventilation without compromising security, and high openings answer both.
- What is the building called today?
- Ise City records it as the Kawasaki Kakugoza, used for lectures, concerts and other hired events.
Basic Information
| Name | Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum North Storehouse 1 |
|---|---|
| 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 97 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: 伊勢河崎商人館北蔵一
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002264
- Ise City cultural property page: 伊勢河崎商人館北蔵一
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/bunkazai_shiseki/bunkazai/yukei/1005919.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
