Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse

What is the Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse?

The Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse (杉原商店西土蔵, Sugihara Shōten Nishi Dozō) is a 1917 storehouse of the Sugihara Shoten washi wholesaler in Oizu-cho, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 27, 2023.

It stands west of the main house, facing east, and held paper stock and tools. Built in the fire-resistant Dozo-zukuri manner, it has two stories and a building area of 145 square meters; Fukui Prefecture gives its footprint as 7.4 by 14.9 meters. It is the oldest of the registered buildings on the property.

Renovated in 2018, the Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse now houses Washiya, the company's gallery and shop.

How the Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse is built

The roof is gabled and tiled, with the entrance on the long side (Hirairi). Two doorways open on the east face under a lean-to roof. The walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster, with a skirting of horizontal boards (Shitami-itabari) held by notched battens.

Inside, the ground floor is a single earth-floored room (Doma) and the upper floor a single boarded room. A thick freestanding post rises in the middle of the ground floor and carries a long beam. Soichi Mizutani Design Office, which handled the 2018 conversion, describes on the official website a plain structure that does without complex joinery.

Why the Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse was registered

The Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a high-quality storehouse that reflects the prosperity of the paper trade.

According to the company, it went up in the years when its Tokyo branch in Nihonbashi was supplying paper for Emperor Taisho's enthronement. At the height of the business, the first thing the firm needed was a large store for paper.

Visiting the Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse

The Sugihara Shoten West Storehouse is the only building in the compound you can enter, by appointment. The gallery shows the papers and products Sugihara Shoten has handled, and the shop sells them. Once inside, look up at the central post and the beam it carries; the storehouse frame is left in view behind the displays.

The official website says Washiya is open strictly by reservation, Tuesday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and on the fourth Saturday of each month between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Book by phone (0778-42-0032) or email. The site says nothing about photography inside, so ask when you reserve.