Niozaka Family Residence (Tsuruya Main Store) Library

Sagisaka Family Residence (Tsuruya Honten) Bunko-gura: A Three-Story Storehouse on the Historic Tōkaidō

Standing quietly along the old post road in Mitsuke, Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the Sagisaka Family Residence — known commercially as Tsuruya Honten — preserves a remarkable three-story earthen storehouse (bunko-gura) that has watched over this historic neighborhood for more than a century. Built in 1917 during the Taishō era, this imposing structure was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024, in recognition of its architectural significance and its contribution to the historical landscape of what was once the 28th station on the Tōkaidō highway.

The Sagisaka family operated a miso and soy sauce brewing business under the trade name Tsuruya Honten, and the bunko-gura served as the family's document and valuables storehouse — a vital structure for any prosperous merchant household of the era. Today, this three-story kura stands as a testament to the wealth and craftsmanship that once characterized the merchant quarters of Mitsuke-juku.

Historical Background: Mitsuke-juku and the Sagisaka Family

Mitsuke-juku was the 28th of the fifty-three stations along the Tōkaidō, the great highway connecting Edo (present-day Tokyo) with Kyoto during the feudal period. The town's history stretches back far beyond the Edo era — it served as the seat of the provincial government of Tōtōmi Province from the 10th century and was home to both the provincial temple and administrative offices. By the time the Tōkaidō was formally established as a post road, Mitsuke had long been a thriving center of commerce and governance.

In this prosperous setting, the Sagisaka family built their fortune through miso and soy sauce brewing, operating under the well-known trade name Tsuruya Honten. The family compound, situated in the heart of the old post town, grew to include multiple structures reflecting both the family's commercial success and their refined taste. The bunko-gura, completed in 1917, was constructed adjacent to the family's retirement quarters (inkyo-beya), which was built six years later in 1923. Together, these buildings form a cohesive ensemble that speaks to the Sagisaka family's enduring presence in the community.

Why It Was Designated: Architectural Value and Historical Landscape

The bunko-gura earned its registration as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property for several compelling reasons. First and foremost, it is a rare surviving example of a three-story earthen storehouse (dozō-zukuri) — most kura in Japan are two stories, making a three-story structure an exceptional find. The building's substantial presence contributes significantly to the historical streetscape of Mitsuke, preserving the atmosphere of an Edo-period post town in an era when such landscapes are rapidly disappearing.

The storehouse also demonstrates sophisticated construction techniques characteristic of the Taishō period. Its foundation of Izu stone laid in a nunozumi (stretcher bond) pattern reflects the regional building tradition of using volcanic stone quarried from the Izu Peninsula — a material prized for its fire resistance and durability. The use of Izu stone in the Tōkaidō corridor was widespread, as the stone could be transported efficiently by sea and river to communities along the highway.

The cultural property registration system in Japan recognizes buildings at least 50 years old that retain historical character, embody the distinctive features of their era, or preserve construction techniques that would be difficult to reproduce today. The Sagisaka bunko-gura meets all of these criteria, standing as an irreplaceable element of Mitsuke's built heritage.

Architectural Highlights

The bunko-gura is a timber-framed, three-story structure built in the dozō-zukuri (earthen storehouse) style with a gabled roof covered in san-gawara (pan-and-cover) tiles. It occupies a building footprint of approximately 45 square meters and is oriented on an east-west axis, connecting to the retirement quarters on its south side.

The building's foundation is constructed from Izu stone — a fire-resistant volcanic stone from the Izu Peninsula — laid in a nunozumi (stretcher bond) pattern. This foundation technique was favored across the Tōkaidō region for its stability and resistance to moisture, critical qualities for any storehouse meant to protect valuable documents and possessions.

The exterior walls are finished with white shikkui plaster, a hallmark of traditional Japanese storehouses. Two horizontal water-deflecting ledges (mizukiri) run along the walls, serving both a practical function of channeling rainwater away from the structure and an aesthetic one, creating elegant horizontal lines across the white facade. On both gable ends of the second and third floors, windows are fitted with kakego-nuri doors — thick, fire-resistant doors with layered plaster coatings — that open outward on double hinges. These specialized doors were essential for protecting the storehouse's contents from fire, one of the greatest threats to wooden townscapes in pre-modern Japan.

The east face of the building features the main entrance, sheltered by a lean-to extension (ge-ya) that provides protection from rain and sun. This entrance arrangement is typical of merchant storehouses, allowing goods and documents to be moved in and out while keeping the interior climate controlled.

Visitor Information

The Sagisaka Family Residence (Tsuruya Honten) Bunko-gura is a privately owned property and is not open to the public for interior viewing. However, the exterior of the storehouse can be appreciated from the street as part of a walk through the historic Mitsuke district. The building's impressive three-story form and white-plastered walls make it a striking sight along the old Tōkaidō road.

The bunko-gura is located at 3498 Mitsuke, Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture. The nearest railway station is JR Iwata Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line, from which Mitsuke can be reached by local bus in approximately 10 minutes or on foot in about 25 minutes. Visitors are kindly requested to respect the privacy of the property owners and to view the building from public areas only.

Surrounding Attractions

A visit to the Sagisaka bunko-gura can be combined with a broader exploration of the rich cultural heritage concentrated in and around Mitsuke. The district retains much of its historical character, and several notable sites lie within easy walking distance.

The Former Mitsuke School (Kyū Mitsuke Gakkō) is Japan's oldest surviving Western-style wooden schoolhouse, built in 1875 during the early Meiji period. This five-story building now serves as a museum of educational history and is free to enter. Just nearby, Mitsuke Tenjin (formally Yanahime Shrine) is one of the most celebrated Tenjin shrines in the Tōkai region, dedicated to the deity of learning. The shrine is famous for its annual Mitsuke Tenjin Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival), designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The shrine also enshrines Shippei Tarō, a legendary spirit dog said to have saved the townspeople from a supernatural threat.

Also registered alongside the bunko-gura in 2024 were the Ōhashi Sake Shop's Oku-gura and Shin-gura, historic sake brewery storehouses that further enrich the architectural landscape of Mitsuke. For those interested in the broader history of the region, the ruins of Tōtōmi Provincial Temple (Tōtōmi Kokubun-ji) and the Iwata City Buried Cultural Properties Center offer insight into the area's ancient past as the capital of Tōtōmi Province.