A rice warehouse at the mouth of the Omono
The row of long timber sheds beside the Omono River (Omonogawa) in the Shinya district of Akita begins here, at Training Building No. 1. It stands at the northern end of eight single-story warehouses raised in 1934 (Showa 9) by the prefectural sales-and-purchase cooperative federation, the organization that later became the Akita Keizairen agricultural union.
Each shed runs roughly 45 meters deep beneath a low sheet-iron roof, and the group was built for one task: holding rice. No. 1 is the head of the line, the first shed a visitor meets coming from the north.
From national granary to registered heritage
For decades this was public infrastructure. In 1939 the warehouses were donated to the central government and renamed the Kokuritsu Shinya Soko, the National Shinya Warehouse, storing and balancing the area's rice supply until 1990.
When the Agency for Cultural Affairs entered the group on the register of Tangible Cultural Properties in 2000, it did so under the criterion of contributing to the nation's historic landscape. This is the registered category (toroku), a tier distinct from the designated Important Cultural Property (juyo bunkazai) and from National Treasure status.
Reading the northern end
Standing at the north gable, the scale is easier to grasp than in any photograph. The long wall recedes toward the south in one unbroken plane, and the roofline steps up where a raised ventilation monitor, the koshi-yane, runs along the ridge.
Inside, the timber frame is left exposed, so the joints of post and beam can be followed by eye. Approaching from the north lets the whole row open in front of you, one gable after another.
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Q&A
- What exactly is Training Building No. 1?
- It is the northernmost of eight former rice warehouses built in 1934, now used as a studio by Akita University of Art and registered as a Tangible Cultural Property.
- Is this a National Treasure or an Important Cultural Property?
- Neither. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (toroku yukei bunkazai), a category that recognizes buildings valued for their part in the historic landscape.
- Can visitors go inside?
- The buildings are working campus facilities, so casual entry is limited. Check with the university before planning a visit.
- Why were rice warehouses built on this spot?
- The land was reclaimed from marsh using soil dug during the Omono River improvement works, and the site lay close to the river mouth and a rail spur for moving grain.
Basic Information
| Name | Training Building No. 1 (Jisshuto Ichigoto) |
|---|---|
| Location | 12-3 Shinya-Okawamachi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registered | 26 September 2000 (25th registration round) |
| Registration No. | 05-0057 |
| Count | One building (ittō) |
| Date | 1934 (Showa 9) |
| Structure | Single-story timber, sheet-iron roof; footprint approx. 660 sq m |
| Criterion | Contributing to the nation's historic landscape |
| Owner | Akita University of Art (public university corporation) |
| Access | In use as campus facilities; enquire with the university about visits |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース — 秋田公立美術工芸短期大学実習棟一号棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001824
- 文化遺産オンライン — 秋田公立美術工芸短期大学実習棟一号棟
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/114704
- 秋田公立美術大学 公式サイト
- https://www.akibi.ac.jp/
Last verified: 2026.07.08