What the Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse Is
The Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse (田中本家博物館蓮池蔵, hasuike-gura) is an early Meiji-period single-storey clay-walled storehouse for farm tools on the south edge of the Tanaka merchant estate in Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 19 September 2003.
It continues east from the Sake Brewery all the way to the eastern boundary, about 28 metres long with a building area of 153 square metres, under a gabled roof on an east-west ridge laid in pantiles. An open lean-to Geya eave runs along the north side.
Hasuike means lotus pond, and the name is said to recall a pond that once lay on this spot.
Why the Hasuike Storehouse Was Registered
The Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse was registered as contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it stored farm implements and conveys the daily life of a large estate.
The Tanaka were landlords as well as merchants. A long tool store running straight on from the brewery shows both sides of the household in the layout of its buildings.
What to Look For: Three Equal Rooms
Inside, the building is divided into three rooms of the same size. From outside it looks like one long storehouse; within, it is a row of separate stores.
The open eave on the north side was probably where tools were brought out and looked after. Running for about 28 metres, it makes a striking line when seen from inside the estate.
The lotus-pond name hints at how the site looked before the estate took its present form. If the pond was filled to make room for the storehouse, the estate grew and changed over time, though no record found says when that happened.
Visiting the Hasuike Storehouse
The north side of the Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse faces into the estate and is seen after entering. Viewed together with the brewery, it shows the south row running on to the eastern boundary.
The interior is not normally open; ask at reception. Opening days and admission are on the Tanaka Honke Museum page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nagano
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse
- [ Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi Hiking Tours ]
Q&A
- Where does the name of the Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse come from?
- It is said to recall a lotus pond that once lay on the site.
- What was stored in the Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse?
- Farm implements and similar equipment.
- How big is the Hasuike Storehouse?
- About 28 metres long and single-storey, covering 153 square metres, divided into three equal rooms.
- Where is the Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse?
- On the south edge of the estate, running east from the Sake Brewery to the eastern boundary.
- When was the Hasuike Storehouse registered?
- It dates from the early Meiji period and was registered on 19 September 2003.
Basic Information
| Name | Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 476 Oyama and other lots, Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/9/19 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 153 square metres |
| Owner | Tanaka Honke Museum (public interest incorporated foundation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from inside the estate on museum opening days; ask at reception about the interior |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tanaka Honke Museum Hasuike Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003561
- Suzaka City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.suzaka.nagano.jp/soshiki/4010/2/1/557.html
- Tanaka Honke Museum: About (Japanese)
- https://tanakahonke.org/about/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
