What the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1 Is
The Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1 is an earthen-walled storehouse of 1867 in the Kawasaki district of Ise City, Mie Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 August 2001. Its building area is 66 square metres, and it stands at the eastern end of the three storehouses that face the main house across the street.
All three turn their backs to the Seta River, and cargo came in from that side straight off the boats. An ink inscription on the ridge beam carries the date; the Ise City cultural property page quotes it as an auspicious day in the third year of Keio.
Why It Was Listed
The criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. The line of three storehouses along the Seta River shows how the district came into being as a river port, and the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1 holds one end of that line. It was listed as part of a row rather than as an isolated object.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the plan is a rhombus because the plot is irregular. Building a storehouse on ground that will not square up means walls and roof frame have to work out of true and still stand. The record describes the condition as good.
What to Look For
The skewed plan becomes obvious once you are standing on the floor and look along the walls. With opposite faces out of parallel, the depth of the room reads differently on the left and on the right. The building has 2 storeys under a Kirizuma-zukuri gable entered from the gable end, so the triangular end wall is what faces the street.
1867 was the last year of the Edo period. Only three of the 12 listed buildings at the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum go back that far, and South Storehouse 1 is the youngest of them. The two Tempo-era inner storehouses sit deep in the household side of the plot; this one belongs to the commercial side, wedged between street and river.
Visiting
Shops occupy the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1, so the interior is accessible during trading hours. Ise City records a café corner here, which makes it one of the few storehouses on the site where you can sit down inside. Shop hours do not always match the museum's own.
Look at the outside from two directions. From the street you get the gable front; from the far bank of the Seta you get the backs of all three storehouses in a row. The river view is from outside the site, so it means crossing a bridge. Photography inside depends on the individual shop.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1 built?
- In 1867, the third year of Keio and the last year of the Edo period, dated by an ink inscription on the ridge beam.
- Why is the plan of this storehouse a rhombus?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs attributes it to the irregular shape of the plot. The building follows the ground rather than forcing it square.
- Can visitors go inside the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1?
- Yes. It houses shops, including a café corner recorded by Ise City, and is open during trading hours.
- Where does the storehouse stand?
- At the eastern end of the three storehouses facing the main house across the street, with its back to the Seta River.
- How large is the Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South Storehouse 1?
- The building area is 66 square metres, making it the second largest of the three south storehouses.
Basic Information
| Name | Ise Kawasaki Merchant Museum South 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 66 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一
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002261
- Ise City cultural property page: 伊勢河崎商人館南蔵一
- https://www.city.ise.mie.jp/cul_spo_edu/culture/bunkazai_shiseki/bunkazai/yukei/1005916.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
