Museum of Kurazukuri, Historic house museum in Kawagoe, Japan
The Museum of Kurazukuri is a historic house in Kawagoe that displays traditional Japanese architecture with thick clay walls and fireproof construction methods. The building features multiple overlapping wall layers and a layout that corresponds to the residential and commercial spaces that merchants used during the Edo period.
The building was constructed in 1893 by tobacco merchant Koyama Bunzō following a major fire in the city. This structure demonstrates how merchants rebuilt their homes and businesses after such disasters with enhanced fire protection methods.
The name Kurazukuri refers to the traditional warehouse-style construction that merchants used to protect their goods. Visitors can see in the preserved rooms how traders organized their lives during the Edo period and secured their valuable stock.
The building is located in central Kawagoe and is easily accessible on foot, especially when following the historic streets of the Kurazukuri area. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes since the pathways are paved and accessing the exhibition rooms involves some steps.
The building is one of the few remaining examples of Kurazukuri architecture, showing how merchants constructed their storehouses with multiple wall layers. This building technique was so effective that some of these structures survived fires that destroyed surrounding houses.
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