The Street-Front Storehouse
The Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse (井上合名会社店舗蔵) is an earthen shop storehouse of the late Edo period (1830–1868) in Minamimachi, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a 2-storey earthen storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 71 square meters; registration number 07-0137.
A Shop Below, a Tatami Room Above
The Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse faces the street on its west side (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its gabled roof of pantiles is an okiyane, a separate roof set over the earthen body, and lean-to roofs run along the west and north sides. The shop occupies the ground floor and a tatami room the floor above.
It is the oldest of the three storehouses registered at the Inoue premises, and was renovated from 1989 onward (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse has a dignity befitting a storehouse town, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
The walls of the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse are finished with an intermediate coat of clay plaster, with tiles along the base (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The upstairs front windows are fitted with lattices and framed in the shape of a torii gate, the detail to look for first from the street.
Visiting
Because the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse stands on the street, its front can be seen from the road. No official information on interior access was found, and the building is privately owned (Kitakata City), so please do not enter the property.
Q&A
- When was the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1830–1868), according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- Where is the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse?
- At 2854 Minamimachi and other lots, Kitakata City, facing the street on its west side.
- What should I look for at the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse?
- The clay-plastered walls with a tiled base, and the latticed upstairs windows with torii-shaped frames.
- Can I go inside the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse?
- No official information on interior access was found; the front can be seen from the road.
- When was the Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse registered?
- On March 29, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse (井上合名会社店舗蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2854 and other lots, Minamimachi, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/03/29 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, 71 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | No official information on visits |
References
- Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009429
- Inoue General Partnership Company Shop Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/258542
- List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Kitakata City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kitakata.fukushima.jp/uploaded/attachment/40835.pdf
Last verified: 2026.11.02
