What is the Sugihara Shoten Main House?
The Sugihara Shoten Main House (杉原商店主屋, Sugihara Shōten Omoya) is the 1925 residence 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 is a large two-story timber house with a building area of 307 square meters. It stands near the center of the compound, straight ahead of the front gate across a forecourt, and was built as the family home of the merchant household.
Form and plan of the Sugihara Shoten Main House
The Sugihara Shoten Main House has a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof laid with Sangawara-buki interlocking tiles, and its entrance is on the gable end, a layout known as Tsumairi. On the north side, the front, an open lean-to roof (Geya) rests on posts with no walls beneath, and a kitchen and bath wing projects to the northeast.
The ground floor follows a two-row, eight-room plan, with veranda corridors along the east and west sides. The southwest room is called the bozu no ma. Fukui Prefecture notes a principal reception room of twelve and a half tatami mats with careful detailing around it.
Why the Sugihara Shoten Main House was registered
The Sugihara Shoten Main House was registered as a model of its building type. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the high-grade timber and to posts and ceilings finished in lacquer, and calls it a refined modern Japanese-style residence.
Coating the structure of a house in lacquer is slow, costly work. That single detail says a lot about how a paper merchant at the end of the Taisho era chose to spend his profits.
Seeing the Sugihara Shoten Main House
The Sugihara Shoten Main House is still a private home, and no public opening of the interior is announced. The best viewpoint is the front gate on the street side. Gate and house line up north to south, and the house turns its north gable toward the gate, so the triangular gable and the open lean-to across the forecourt form its public face.
The only building on the property open to visitors is the West Storehouse next door, now the Washiya gallery, by appointment. Even when visiting Washiya, treat the main house as a residence and keep to the areas the staff show you.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukui
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sugihara Shoten Main House
- [ Eiheiji Temple & Tojinbo Cliffs Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was the Sugihara Shoten Main House built?
- It was completed in 1925, after the West Storehouse (1917) and the East Storehouse (1921).
- Why is the Sugihara Shoten Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on February 27, 2023, as a model of its type. The national listing praises its fine timber and the lacquer finish on its posts and ceilings.
- Can I go inside the Sugihara Shoten Main House?
- No interior opening is announced, because it is a private home. Visitors can book a visit to the Washiya gallery in the West Storehouse instead.
- How big is the Sugihara Shoten Main House?
- It is a two-story timber house with a gabled tile roof and a building area of 307 square meters, with eight ground-floor rooms in two rows.
- Where is the best place to see the Sugihara Shoten Main House?
- Stand by the front gate on the north street. The house faces the gate with its gable end, so this is where its front is visible.
Basic Information
| Name | Sugihara Shoten Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1 Higashimachi, 17 Oizu-cho, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | Registered February 27, 2023 (Reiwa 5) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-story timber building, building area 307 m² |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | No public opening of the interior announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Sugihara Shoten Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014476
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sugihara Shoten Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/597630
- Fukui Prefecture Cultural Properties: Sugihara Shoten Main House
- https://bunkazai.pref.fukui.lg.jp/search_category/content?detail_id=948-0
Last verified: 2026.10.01
