What Is the Suzuzen Komesumigura?
The Suzuzen Komesumigura (鈴善米炭蔵, rice and charcoal storehouse) is a two-story earthen storehouse built in 1922 to store rice and charcoal, standing in the southeast corner of the premises of the Suzuzen lacquerware wholesaler at 141 Chuo 1-chome, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2021.
Built in Dozo-zukuri style, the Suzuzen Komesumigura runs north to south under a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. At 40 square meters it is the smallest of the seven registered Suzuzen buildings, and its lot number, 141, differs from the 138 shared by the others: it stands on ground the premises later grew into.
A Store for Rice and Charcoal
Rice was the staple food and charcoal the fuel for cooking and heating. Apart from the storehouses for merchandise, the household kept one storehouse in a corner of the lot for these basic supplies.
A single doorway with a Tomae, the heavy plastered door assembly of a storehouse, opens in the north gable end. The walls are Shikkui plaster carried up over the eaves in a Hachimaki band.
A Small Storehouse with a Divided Upper Floor
The ground floor is one room, and the upper floor is divided into two. Among the registered Suzuzen storehouses, the Suzuzen Komesumigura is the only one recorded with a partitioned upper floor. The roof is framed with a Western-style Truss, the same system used in the Chozogura and the Nizukurigura on the same site.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs places the Suzuzen Komesumigura in the expansion of the premises and treats it as a sign of how well the family business was doing in the early Showa period. How a storehouse dated 1922 relates to an expansion described as early Showa is not explained in published sources.
Visiting the Suzuzen Komesumigura
The Suzuzen Komesumigura stands in the southeast corner of the site and cannot be seen from the street. Its north gable, with the doorway, faces into the premises.
The premises are open as the Aizu-nuri Densho-kan Suzuzen, but the website names its spaces by function and does not say which of them occupies the Suzuzen Komesumigura or whether it can be entered (checked October 2026). Opening times and directions are on the Suzuzen page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Suzuzen Komesumigura (Rice and Charcoal Storehouse)
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Suzuzen Komesumigura built?
- It was built in 1922 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2021.
- What was the Suzuzen Komesumigura used for?
- It stored rice and charcoal, the household's staple food and fuel, separately from the merchandise storehouses.
- What is inside the Suzuzen Komesumigura?
- One room on the ground floor and two rooms upstairs, under a Western-style truss roof.
- Why does the Suzuzen Komesumigura have a different address from the other buildings?
- It stands at the southeast corner on lot 141, part of the expansion of the premises, while the other six share lot 138.
- Can visitors see the Suzuzen Komesumigura?
- It is not visible from the street. The premises are open as a museum, but the official website does not say whether this storehouse can be entered.
Basic Information
| Name | Suzuzen Komesumigura (Rice and Charcoal Storehouse) (鈴善米炭蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 141 Chuo 1-chome, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 40 m² |
| Owner | Not listed (the owner field in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database is blank) |
| Public Access | Not visible from the street; the premises are open as the Aizu-nuri Densho-kan Suzuzen (access to this building unconfirmed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Suzuzen Komesumigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013927
- Cultural Heritage Online: Suzuzen Komesumigura
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/520277
- Aizu-nuri Densho-kan Suzuzen: Facilities
- https://suzuzen.com/facility/
Last verified: 2026.10.02
