A Brick Warehouse from Aburatsu's Timber Years
The Aburatsu Red Brick Hall (油津赤レンガ館, Aburatsu Akarenga-kan), formally the Former Kawano Muneyasu Family Warehouse, is a two-storey brick warehouse built in 1922 in Aburatsu 1-chome, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and it was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 9, 1998. Its registration number is 45-0005.
The building stands east of the Horikawa Canal, its front facing north onto Nakamachi-dori. It has a tiled roof and a footprint of 132 square metres. According to Miyazaki Prefecture's tourism site and the Nichinan City Tourism Association, it was built by Muneto, fourth son of the Aburatsu merchant Kawano Soshiro, whose fortune came from the trade in Obi cedar, at the same time as a second storey was added to the family's main house. Some 220,000 bricks went into it. Nichinan City's own website gives the construction date as 1921, a year earlier than the 1922 recorded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
The family's main house was registered on the same day as the Former Kawano Muneyasu Family Main House and Kitchen. It faces south onto Shimomachi-dori, the street running east to west through the centre of the old town, while the warehouse faces the opposite street, so the two buildings sit back to back across the lot.
Why the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall Was Registered
The Aburatsu Red Brick Hall was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles it out as a structure that shows clearly what a town grown rich on harbour and canal traffic looked like. Aburatsu prospered on water transport linking the Horikawa Canal to the port, and this warehouse was put up by a merchant house whose money came from Obi cedar. A two-storey brick wall rising among timber townhouses is about as direct a record of that prosperity as a street can hold.
On the architecture, the Agency notes the careful design of the gateway framing the entrance. Miyazaki Prefecture's tourism site adds that Western motifs appear throughout, including the arched ceiling of the central passage and the arches over each room's doorway, making it a useful building for understanding Taisho-period brick construction.
The warehouse's later history adds its own layer of meaning. The Nichinan City Tourism Association recounts that when the building was due to go to auction, residents who feared its demolition asked the city for help and were turned down for budgetary reasons. They resolved to buy it themselves, aiming for 30 backers at ¥1 million each toward the ¥30 million needed. Shopkeepers, a Buddhist priest and city councillors were among the 31 people who put in money and formed the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall general partnership, which then bought the building. It was later donated to the city. The Agency's entry notes that it is now reused as a base for local cultural activities.
What to Look For
Start outside, on the Nakamachi-dori side. The gateway built around the entrance in the brick facade is the detail the Agency picks out for its design. Look up as well: the tiled roof sitting over Western-style brick walls is a typical Taisho-era pairing for a merchant's storehouse.
Inside, a passage runs straight through the middle of the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall under an arched ceiling, with one room on each side. The Agency's record describes the interior as divided into two rooms left and right, and walking the passage makes that plan easy to read. The doorways into both rooms are arched at the top, and it is worth comparing them from the passage.
The ground floor also displays photographs, cast autographs and series posters from the film Tora-san's Youth (Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajiro no Seishun), part of which was shot around the Horikawa Bridge, according to the tourism association. The material was moved here from the former Horikawa Museum and shows how this stretch of waterfront ended up on screen.
Visiting the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall
The hall is a public facility of Nichinan City. The ground floor serves as a free tourist and local-history rest area with a multipurpose room, and the upstairs multipurpose space is also free for casual use, rest or a look around. Individual visitors sign the register at the ground-floor desk. The upper floor can be booked for ¥280 per hour (plus ¥100 per hour with heating or air conditioning), with an application due a week in advance; while it is booked, individuals cannot use it.
Published opening hours differ. Nichinan City lists 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., while the Nichinan City Tourism Association gives 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. It is safest to check with the hall itself (0987-27-3600) or the city's tourism division (0987-27-3315) before going.
The Aburatsu Red Brick Hall is about 15 minutes on foot from Aburatsu Station on the JR Nichinan Line, according to Miyazaki Prefecture's tourism site, which also shows a multipurpose accessible toilet and lists the hall as having Wi-Fi. No official guidance on photography was found, so ask at the desk before taking pictures inside.
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Q&A
- Is there an entrance fee for the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall, and what are the opening hours?
- Entry is free. Nichinan City lists 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; the city tourism association gives 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
- When was the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall built, and by whom?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1922. It is said to have been built by Muneto, fourth son of the cedar merchant Kawano Soshiro, alongside an extension to the family's main house. Nichinan City's website gives 1921.
- When did the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on October 9, 1998, on the same day as the Former Kawano Muneyasu Family Main House and Kitchen next door.
- Can the upstairs room of the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall be rented?
- Yes. The upper-floor multipurpose space can be booked for ¥280 per hour, plus ¥100 per hour with heating or cooling, with an application a week in advance. Casual visits are free.
- How do I get to the Aburatsu Red Brick Hall?
- It is about 15 minutes on foot from Aburatsu Station on the JR Nichinan Line, on Nakamachi-dori just east of the Horikawa Canal.
Basic Information
| Name | Aburatsu Red Brick Hall (Former Kawano Muneyasu Family Warehouse) (油津赤レンガ館（旧河野宗泰家倉庫）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-9-3 Aburatsu, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/10/9 (Heisei 10), registration no. 45-0005 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 132 square metres |
| Owner | Aburatsu Red Brick Hall general partnership (per the registration record; later donated to Nichinan City) |
| Public Access | Open, free. 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Nichinan City); weekdays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., weekends and holidays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (tourism association) |
References
- 油津赤レンガ館（旧河野宗泰家倉庫） (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000922
- 旧河野宗泰家主屋及び炊事場 (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000923
- 油津赤レンガ館（旧河野宗泰家倉庫） (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/166232
- 油津赤レンガ館 (Nichinan City)
- https://www.city.nichinan.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kanko_cruiseka/1/1/799.html
- 油津赤レンガ館 (Nichinan City Tourism Association)
- https://www.kankou-nichinan.jp/tourisms/314/
- 油津赤レンガ館（旧河野宗泰家倉庫） (Miyazaki Prefecture official tourism site)
- https://www.kanko-miyazaki.jp/spot/2120
Last verified: 2026.10.02