Former Ozu Seizaemon House

Located in Honmachi, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture, the Former Ozu Seizaemon House is a group of buildings constructed as the main residence of the Ozu family, who ran the Ozuya paper store, a wealthy merchant business that dates back to the Edo period. It is a valuable historic site that preserves the culture of Matsusaka merchants to this day. The residence still strongly reflects the look of a merchant house from that era and conveys the prosperity of those days.

Founded in 1653, the Ozuya paper store purchased paper from production areas near Matsusaka, including Fukano-gami, as well as from around Japan, and in Odemma-cho, Edo, it was known as “Edo’s leading paper wholesaler.” The wealth it built was brought back to its hometown of Matsusaka, and the main residence site was repeatedly expanded and rebuilt into a large estate.

Today, the site has been reduced to Approx. three-fifths of its peak size, but the buildings are designated as Tangible Cultural Properties of Mie Prefecture, and the grounds are designated as a Historic Site of Matsusaka City. The former residence is open to the public as a place that conveys the business practices of Matsusaka merchants and the prosperity of the paper wholesaler, and through exhibits and explanations, visitors can learn about the architectural styles and daily life culture of the time. It remains a symbolic place that continues to tell the history and spirit of Matsusaka merchants.