Kyu Kai Honke Kurazashiki

Kyu Kai Honke Kurazashiki

Many storehouses have been built in Kitakata City over the years, with various architectural styles represented across the city. The Kyu Kai Honke Kurazashiki (Former Residence of the Kai Family) is among the storehouses that are often visited by tourists. The outer walls have been coated with black laquer. The interior has been constructed lavishly with precious wood, giving the building a dignified appearance.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttp://www.kitakata-kanko.jp/category/detail.php?id=3(Automated translation available)
Contact

(+81) 241-22-0001

Best SeasonAll Year
Opening Hours

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entrance at 4:30 PM)

Open all year

ParkingUp to 20 cars
Entrance FeeFree
Access Details
AccessAza 1-4611, Kitakata City, Fukushima Pref. 966-0819
View directions
Getting there

By Train: 25 min walk from Kitakata Station (JR Ban-etsu West Line)

Related trips

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
History & Culture

Yamada Momen Cotton Mill

Aizu momen (Aizu cotton) products are still greatly valued for their high quality and their traditional manufacturing techniques. The Yamada Momen Orimoto Company dates back to the start of the Edo Period (1603-1868). Aizu momen (cotton) has been produced here for over 400 years.Everything produced at Yamada Momen is made using the same techniques that have been practiced here for over 100 years, and the machinery is also old. Visitors are free to take a look around the cotton mill floor. The establishment also includes a small shop in the main office building.

The World Glassware Hall
Museums & Galleries

Mishima Town Local Crafts Museum

This crafts museum, deep in the heart of the beautiful Oku-Aizu region, specialises in braided wicker crafts that have been a staple of the area for centuries. The local people have a strong affinity for handmade crafts, passing techniques down from generation to generation. In addition to learning about the history of the crafts here, visitors can try their hand at it themselves, making a small strap souvenir to take home (1,000 yen per person; reservations required).There's also an expansive shop on site where visitors can buy baskets, bags, home ornaments and so on.A trip to Mishima combines well with seeing a passing train at one of Japan's most scenic railway bridges, the Tadami River Bridge No.1, accessible by parking at the Mishima roadside station.

The World Glassware Hall
History & Culture

Mitsuya District Warehouses & Climbing Kiln

Be transported back to the elegant Taisho Period at Kitakata’s Mitsuya District. Kitakata is famous as being a town of charming red brick kura (Japanese warehouses). The rich texture and distinctive color of the warehouse bricks are an integral part of Kitakata’s townscape. In the year Meiji 23 (1890), the connecting kilns of Mitsuya District were opened. As well as roof tiles, bricks made here were also painted a deep red color, giving the area a unique atmosphere and classic scenery. The area was registered as an Industrial Modernization Heritage Site by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The large red brick climbing kiln, located inside the Wakana Family's home, is truly a sight to behold. This district has even been written about on the Michelin Travel website.

You might also like

Isasumi Shrine
History & Culture

Isasumi Shrine

Isasumi Shrine's history is thought to be connected to how the Aizu region got its name - a story that has been recorded in two of Japan’s most legendary books of folklore. According to the tale, around 2000 years ago, four shogun were entrusted with uniting the four areas of land which would become Japan. Two of these shogun happened to be father and son. One was sent to the northeast, and the other to the northwest.When the father and son had completed their work uniting the towns in their respective areas, they met in the middle. They named the area “Aizu” (会津), which can be translated as “The riverbank (津) where we met (会)”. The father and son travelled to Mt. Mikagura-dake, a mountain that borders Niigata Prefecture and Aizu, and prayed to the Shinto god of pioneering new lands to protect Aizu, and the rest of Japan. Isasumi Shrine is thought to be built where they met.In spring, the shrine grounds become decorated with the blossoms of one of the most prized cherry trees in Aizu. It is said that this tree, which is named Usuzumi Sakura (“Diluted-Ink Sakura”), has been the sacred tree of Isasumi Shrine since it was brought down from Mt. Mikagura-dake and planted in the shrine grounds as a way of commemorating the efforts of the father and son. The lovely, light scent of the cherry blossom welcomes visitors each spring.Aizu Misato Town’s historic Isasumi Shrine, known as a great spot for viewing beautiful irises, holds a festival to celebrate the splendor of these flowers every year.

Nanokamachi-dori Street
History & Culture

Nanokamachi-dori Street

Nanokamachi-dori Street is a quaint shopping street with an olde-worlde atmosphere, located in central Aizu-Wakamatsu City. There is a mix of western-style buildings, and traditional Japanese architecture, including Japanese-style storehouses and wooden town houses, from the Taisho Period (1912-1926). This street is home to a number of shops selling local products such as Aizu lacquerware and Aizu momen (cotton made in the Aizu area). Nanokamachi-dori Street is a great spot to grab a bite to eat, and is also useful as a base to explore Aizu-Wakamatsu City. Suehiro Sake Brewery and Suzuzen lacquerware shop are just two of the esteemed businesses located close to this shopping street.

Kuimaru Elementary School
History & Culture

Kuimaru Elementary School

Kuimaru Elementary School is a historic Japanese school that was built during the Showa era of Japan, making it over 80 years old.In the 1980s, a modern elementary school was built nearby, leaving this old school house abandoned. Fortunately, this building was preserved and converted into a museum. It happens to be one of only a handful of old fashioned schools left standing in Japan.Here you can explore the old school grounds including a large ginkgo tree that is over 100 years old. A long standing symbol of the school, in Autumn (early to mid-November) the leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow, and when they fall, the school yard is carpeted in these golden leaves.The school building has undergone some light renovations, but the charm of this old building has been beautifully preserved. Inside the building, you can wander through the halls and explore the classrooms, sit at the little wooden desks, page through some old textbooks and imagine what it would have been like to be a student here around 80 years ago.After you explore the school, there is a café next door called “Soba Café SCHOLA” that serves 100% buckwheat noodles (soba noodles) as well as other dishes created with 100% buckwheat (soba) flour. These dishes are naturally gluten-free and delicious.

Top