What is the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary?
The Sugihara Shoten Ossuary (杉原商店納骨堂, Sugihara Shōten Nōkotsudō) is the 1931 family ossuary 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 apart from the house and storehouses, on high ground at the southeast of the property and on its own lot (29-1 Dotani). The Sugihara Shoten Ossuary is a single-story reinforced concrete building, about 1.5 meters square according to Fukui Prefecture, with an area of 2.3 square meters in the national database.
How the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary is built
It rests on a raised base under a pyramidal Hōgyō-zukuri roof clad in copper. The eaves have a single layer of closely spaced rafters. The walls are rendered in mortar, with posts and horizontal tie beams (Nageshi) modelled in the concrete.
In other words, the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary reproduces the posts, beams and rafters of a timber shrine hall in reinforced concrete. It was built by the Morota firm of Takefu; the Agency for Cultural Affairs names Morota Shozaemon III as the contractor.
Why the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary was registered
The Sugihara Shoten Ossuary was registered as a model of its building type. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it small but valuable, a reinforced concrete ossuary from the early Showa period.
Reinforced concrete was only beginning to spread in provincial Japan at the time. Here the new material was used to copy the details of a traditional Buddhist hall, down to the rafters.
Visiting the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary
The Sugihara Shoten Ossuary is the Sugihara family's place of remembrance, and no public access is announced. It stands on higher ground, and we have not confirmed how much of it is visible from the street. Please do not enter the grounds.
The only Sugihara Shoten building open by reservation is the Washiya gallery in the West Storehouse.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukui
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sugihara Shoten Ossuary
- [ Eiheiji Temple & Tojinbo Cliffs Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary built?
- It was built in 1931.
- What does the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary look like?
- It is a small single-story reinforced concrete hall on a raised base, with a pyramidal copper roof and posts, beams and rafters modelled in concrete.
- Who built the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary?
- The Morota firm of Takefu; the national database names Morota Shozaemon III.
- Why is the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on February 27, 2023, as a model of its type: a rare early Showa ossuary in reinforced concrete.
- Can I visit the Sugihara Shoten Ossuary?
- No public access is announced. It is a family ossuary, so please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Sugihara Shoten Ossuary |
|---|---|
| Location | 29-1 Dotani, 23 Oizu-cho, Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | Registered February 27, 2023 (Reiwa 5) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, copper roof, area 2.3 m² |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | No public access announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Sugihara Shoten Ossuary
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014481
- Fukui Prefecture Cultural Properties: Sugihara Shoten Ossuary
- https://bunkazai.pref.fukui.lg.jp/search_category/content?detail_id=953-0
Last verified: 2026.10.01
