What is the Sugihara Shoten Office?
The Sugihara Shoten Office (杉原商店事務所, Sugihara Shōten Jimusho) is the 1933 office building 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 northeast of the main house, just west of the East Storehouse, facing south. It is a two-story Dozo-zukuri building with a building area of 72 square meters. The Sugihara Shoten Office was moved to its present position around 1975, and Fukui Prefecture says it is still used as an office.
How the Sugihara Shoten Office is built
Outside, it looks like a storehouse: Shikkui plaster above, board skirting up to the upper-floor waist. The gabled tile roof has its entrance on the long side (Hirairi), with a lean-to on the south. On the north wall, toward the street, are four windows fitted with flat wooden lattices.
On the ground floor a corridor runs along the south side, with a small earth-floored entry at its west end; the office room fills the north side. The building keeps the fire protection of storehouse construction while letting in enough light through the lattice windows for desk work, and Fukui Prefecture singles out its large openings.
Why the Sugihara Shoten Office was registered
The Sugihara Shoten Office was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it alongside the East Storehouse as part of the northeast corner of the property.
In the national classification every other building in the compound counts as residential, while the Sugihara Shoten Office is listed as a commercial building. It marks the moment the merchant's bookkeeping moved out of the family home into a building of its own.
Seeing the Sugihara Shoten Office
The Sugihara Shoten Office is a working office and no interior opening is announced, but the exterior can be seen from the street. The four lattice windows on the north wall are the feature to look for. Their board skirting lines up with that of the East Storehouse next door, so the two buildings read almost as one continuous wall.
The building you can enter by reservation is the Washiya gallery in the West Storehouse. Reservations and enquiries go through the phone number (0778-42-0032) or email on the official website.
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Q&A
- When was the Sugihara Shoten Office built?
- It was built in 1933 and moved to its present position around 1975.
- Is the Sugihara Shoten Office still in use?
- Yes. Fukui Prefecture notes that the interior is used as an office.
- Why is the Sugihara Shoten Office a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on February 27, 2023, for its contribution to the historic townscape, together with the East Storehouse at the northeast corner of the compound.
- Can I go inside the Sugihara Shoten Office?
- No interior opening is announced. The exterior can be seen from the street.
- How is the Sugihara Shoten Office built?
- It is a two-story plastered building in storehouse style with a gabled tile roof and a building area of 72 square meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Sugihara Shoten Office |
|---|---|
| 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 plastered building, building area 72 m² |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced; exterior visible from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Sugihara Shoten Office
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014479
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sugihara Shoten Office
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/592813
- Fukui Prefecture Cultural Properties: Sugihara Shoten Office
- https://bunkazai.pref.fukui.lg.jp/search_category/content?detail_id=951-0
Last verified: 2026.10.01
