About Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2
Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 (長谷園展示室二, Nagatani-en Tenjishitsu Ni) is a single-story timber building of the Meiji period (1868 to 1912) on the lane at the Nagatani-en pottery in Marubashira, Iga City, Mie Prefecture; said to have begun as a stable, it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 26 March 2015.
Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 faces Exhibition Room 1 from the south and runs east to west, with Exhibition Room 3 parallel to it on the south. At 59 square meters it is the smallest of the three galleries on the lane. It was renovated in 1974 and again in 2003 and is now used as a gallery.
Two roof ends and an earthen floor
The pantile roof of Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 ends differently at each side: gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) at the east and hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) at the west, so the building looks different depending on which way you approach. The walls are clad in vertical boards.
Inside is a single room with an earthen floor, and the roof is framed in the traditional Japanese way, with short struts standing on horizontal beams to carry the ridge and purlins. It makes a neat contrast with Workshop 2 on the same site, whose wide span is carried on Western-style king post trusses.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes traces showing that part of the floor was once boarded, so the supposed stable also had a raised timber floor in places.
Why Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 is registered
Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency describes it as a building that conveys part of how the pottery once operated.
A building said to have housed the pottery's horses, standing on the same lane as the family house and storehouses, keeps both the domestic and the working sides of the Nagatani-en site in view. Mie Prefecture likewise values the complex for keeping its Meiji and Taisho house and workshops as built.
Visiting Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2
Nagatani-en says its walking area includes three shop buildings, which appear to be Exhibition Rooms 1 to 3 on the lane. Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 can be entered free of charge during opening hours (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Tuesdays but open on national holidays). These details were checked on the official Nagatani-en website and other sources on 5 October 2026 and may change.
Outside, compare the gabled east end with the hip-and-gable west end. Directions are on the Nagatani-en page.
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Q&A
- What was Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 originally used for?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs says it is thought to have been a stable. Traces show that part of the floor was once boarded.
- What is unusual about the roof of Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2?
- It is gabled at the east end and hip-and-gable at the west end, covered in pantiles, over a traditional Japanese roof frame.
- Can I go inside Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2?
- Yes, free of charge during opening hours, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Tuesdays.
- When was Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 renovated?
- In 1974 and 2003. It was built in the Meiji period (1868 to 1912).
- When did Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 26 March 2015.
Basic Information
| Name | Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 |
|---|---|
| Location | 568-4 Marubashira, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 26 March 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 59 square meters (1-story timber, pantile roof) |
| Owner | Not listed (Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Open, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Tuesdays, free admission |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010470
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nagatani-en Exhibition Room 2 (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/274656
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Nagatani-en Workshop 2 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010473
- Mie Prefecture: Summary of the recommended properties (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/000371116.pdf
- Iga City Digital Museum: Nagatani-en buildings and kiln (Japanese)
- https://adeac.jp/iga-city/catalog/mp404530-100040
- Nagatani-en: Shop information (Japanese)
- https://igamono.co.jp/at-first/shop/
- Mie Prefecture Machikado Museum: Iga-yaki no Sato Nagatani-en (Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/Miebunka/detail?cls=mica_col06&pkey=0000000062
Last verified: 2026.10.05
