The House of the Calendar Makers
The House of the Mishima Calendar Master (former main house of the Kawai Family Residence) (三嶋暦師の館（旧河合家住宅主屋）) is a house of the late Edo period in Omiya-cho, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, east of Mishima Taisha Shrine, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber house of 218 square metres with a tiled roof; registration number 22-0113.
The Kawai Family and the Mishima Calendar
According to the Mishima tourism association, the museum occupies the house of the Kawai family, who issued the Mishima calendar for some fifty generations, work that demanded skill in astronomy and mathematics. The Mishima calendar is said to be the oldest calendar in Japan written in kana script.
The association says that after the family house fell in the Ansei earthquake of 1854, this one was built from the disused checkpoint building at Juriki (now Susono) with the backing of Egawa Tarozaemon, the shogunate intendant at Nirayama. The Agency also notes the tradition that it is a relocated checkpoint building.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency values it both for the tradition of its origin as a checkpoint building and as a surviving house of a leading shrine family of the late Edo period.
What to Look For
A formal entrance with a gently curved gable stands at the centre of the north front (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The house is 9.5 by 4.5 bays under a tiled gabled roof, with an earth-floored area to the east, six rooms in two rows to the west and an eight-mat reception room at the north-west corner.
According to the tourism association, the inner room is a raised jodan-no-ma that reflects the family's standing. Woodblocks and documents of the Mishima calendar are displayed, and visitors can try printing with replica blocks.
Visiting
According to the tourism association, it is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on Mondays (or the next day if Monday is a holiday) and over the New Year, with free admission. There is no parking. It is about 20 minutes on foot from Mishima Station and 5 minutes from Mishima Taisha Shrine. Telephone: 055-976-3088.
It reopened on September 1, 2020 after seismic strengthening and roof repairs (Mishima tourism association).
Q&A
- When was the House of the Mishima Calendar Master built?
- In the late Edo period, after the Ansei earthquake of 1854.
- Where is the House of the Mishima Calendar Master?
- In Omiya-cho, Mishima, about five minutes' walk east of Mishima Taisha Shrine.
- What should I look for?
- The curved-gable entrance, the raised inner room and the calendar woodblocks.
- Can I visit the House of the Mishima Calendar Master?
- Yes; it is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with free admission, closed Mondays and at New Year.
- When was the House of the Mishima Calendar Master (former main house of the Kawai Family Residence) registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | House of the Mishima Calendar Master (former main house of the Kawai Family Residence) (三嶋暦師の館（旧河合家住宅主屋）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-5-16 Omiya-cho, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 218 m² |
| Owner | Mishima City |
| Public Access | Open 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed Mondays and New Year; free) |
References
- House of the Mishima Calendar Master (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005883
- House of the Mishima Calendar Master (Mishima tourism association, Japanese)
- https://www.mishima-kankou.com/spot/290/
Last verified: 2026.10.14