A storehouse outside, a formal room within
Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura 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 74 square metres.
It stands at the middle of the northern edge of the plot, its ridge running east to west. The walls are Shikkui plaster with boarding at the base, and the doorway opening off the corridor east of the proprietor's room carries double leaves finished in black plaster.
It was repaired in 2016. Its registration number is 07-0216, and like the sodegura and the main house storehouse it dates from 1886, one of the three buildings that came first on this plot.
Why it was listed
Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura was listed as a model of design rather than for its part in the landscape. The judgement is about construction.
What was recognised is the interior work. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes lacquered timber and richly worked fittings in a storehouse-Zashiki. The idea itself, a formal room with alcove, shelves and study bay set inside thick storehouse walls, is the subject of the building.
Using a fireproof building to receive people rather than to keep goods was a habit among merchants and landowners in the northeast. This is a particularly well-finished example.
Traces of three rooms made into one
The ground floor is one room today, the result of repair work. Originally there were three, with the alcove, shelves and study bay in the middle one. The space reads as a single hall now, but where the partitions ran and which end was the seat of honour can be worked back from the position of those fittings.
The timber is finished in clear Urushi lacquer, raising a sheen without hiding the grain, the same treatment used inside the shop storehouse on this plot. A storehouse of 1886 and a shop of about 1914 were given the same finish 28 years apart.
From outside, look at the boarded base and the black doors. The wall is white plaster, the foot is boarded, and only the doors are black. Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura divides its surfaces between three materials.
Visiting
Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura stands along the northern edge and cannot be seen from the street. Both outside and inside are reached only on the paid visit.
What is shown can vary through the year. Since the ground floor has been altered, the things worth attention are the position of the alcove and shelves and the finish of the timber. Check the route at the reception desk before setting off.
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 Zashikigura
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- What kind of building is Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura?
- A storehouse from outside and a formal room within, fitted with alcove, shelves and a study bay. A fireproof building used for receiving people rather than storing goods.
- How many rooms are on the ground floor of Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura?
- One today, after repairs, but originally three, with the alcove, shelves and study bay in the middle one.
- When was Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura built?
- In 1886, the same year as the sodegura and the main house storehouse, among the first three buildings on the plot.
- Can Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura be seen from the street?
- No. It stands on the northern edge of the plot and is reached only on the paid visit.
- Under which criterion was Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura listed?
- As a model of design, under registration number 07-0216, on 5 December 2019.
Basic Information
| Name | Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura |
|---|---|
| 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 74 square metres |
| Owner | Aizuwakamatsu Urban Development Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior as the route allows; exterior from within the compound |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Fukunishi Main Store Zashikigura (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013023
- Fukunishi Honten official site
- https://fukunishi-honten.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.17
