About the Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House (former Sumi Pawnshop Shop and Main House)
The Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House (寿美吉旅館主屋, former Sumi Pawnshop Shop and Main House) is a two-storey timber inn building of 1923 on the west bank of the Miya River in Honmachi 4-chome, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 3, 2024. It was originally the shop and residence of a pawnbroker (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a two-storey timber building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 115 square metres, renovated in the early Showa period; registration number 21-0304, with no owner listed. Sumiyoshi Ryokan is an inn on the west bank of the Miya River in central Takayama, originally the shop, house and storehouses of the Sumi pawnshop; its main house, kitchen wing and storehouse were registered on December 3, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the projecting lattice across its ground-floor front preserves the historic look of the street.
What to Look For
The Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House faces west onto the street. The projecting lattice of its ground-floor front uses Takayama's distinctive vertical grid, rectangular in the upper part and square in the lower (Agency for Cultural Affairs). From the street you can see the pattern change from top to bottom.
Inside, the neat beam framing in the open void above the entrance hall is the feature to look for (Agency for Cultural Affairs); guests should look up as they come in.
Visiting the Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House (former Sumi Pawnshop Shop and Main House)
The Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House is part of a working inn, so its interior is seen by staying there; we found no official information on visits by non-guests. Details are on the Sumiyoshi Ryokan page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gifu
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House (former Sumi Pawnshop Shop and Main House)
- [ Shirakawago & Takayama Old Town Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House built?
- In 1923, renovated in the early Showa period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was the Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House originally?
- The shop and residence of a pawnbroker (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the Sumiyoshi Ryokan lattice?
- It is Takayama's distinctive vertical lattice, rectangular above and square below (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House registered?
- On December 3, 2024.
- Can you visit the Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House?
- It is a working inn; the interior is for guests, and the exterior can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House (former Sumi Pawnshop Shop and Main House) (寿美吉旅館主屋（旧住質店店舗兼主屋）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-21 Honmachi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/12/3 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | A two-storey timber building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 115 square metres, renovated in the early Showa period |
| Owner | Not listed in the national record |
| Public Access | Working inn (exterior viewable from the street) |
References
- Sumiyoshi Ryokan Main House (former Sumi Pawnshop Shop and Main House) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015191
Last verified: 2026.10.06
