A storehouse matched to the shop next door
Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura is a storehouse in a merchant compound in Nakamachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, built in 1886 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 5 December 2019. It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof covering 46 square metres.
It stands on the street north of the shop storehouse, its ridge running east to west. The walls carry the same black Shikkui plaster as the shop, and on the west gable a small copper-sheeted canopy sits above the window. Doorways open south into the shop's ground floor and east onto the storehouse forecourt.
It is among the oldest of the seven items here, built in 1886 and repaired in 2016. Its registration number is 07-0214.
Why it was listed
Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura was listed for contributing to the historic landscape rather than as a model of design. What counted was how it looks from the road.
The reason is the plaster. A storehouse of 1886 carries the same black finish as a shop of about 1914. Two buildings 28 years apart stand in one colour, and the street frontage reads as a single thing.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that matching the shop's appearance tightens the street scene. Whether the older building was brought up to the newer one or the reverse, somebody was thinking about the view from the road.
Goods on one side, the family altar on the other
Inside, the building divides. The western half was a goods store; the eastern half is a six-Tatami room with an alcove and shelves, serving as the Buddhist altar room. Stock and ancestors occupy the left and right of one storehouse.
The upper floor held household possessions. Putting the altar room below and the family's goods above says plainly what the fireproof building was meant to protect.
From outside, look at the west gable. A single small copper-sheeted canopy sits over the window there. Within the black wall, that canopy and the copper-faced windows of the shop next door are made of the same material.
Visiting
The exterior can be seen from the street at any time. To take in both this building and the shop storehouse at once, step back across the road. Photography is unrestricted.
Whether the interior is open depends on the visitor route, which can change through the year. Ask at the reception desk.
Admission, hours, closing days and directions are set out on the page for Fukunishi Honten.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura built?
- In 1886, which makes it among the oldest of the seven items here. It was repaired in 2016.
- What is inside Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura?
- A goods store in the western half and a six-mat altar room with alcove and shelves in the eastern half, with household possessions kept upstairs.
- Why is Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura black?
- Because it carries the same black plaster as the shop storehouse beside it. Matching two buildings of different dates makes the street frontage read as one.
- Can Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura be seen from the street?
- Yes. It stands on the road north of the shop storehouse, and the pair read best from the far side of the street.
- Under which criterion was Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura listed?
- For contributing to the historic landscape, under registration number 07-0214, on 5 December 2019.
Basic Information
| Name | Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura |
|---|---|
| Location | 321 Nakamachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019 (Reiwa 1) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 46 square metres |
| Owner | Aizuwakamatsu Urban Development Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street at any time; interior as the route allows |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Fukunishi Main Store Sodekura (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013021
- Fukunishi Honten official site
- https://fukunishi-honten.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.17
