The largest store on the site
At the middle of the Jomo Soko yard stands No. 7, the largest of the warehouses at 463 square metres. Unlike the brick blocks around it, this one was built for grain. It went up in 1950 as a reinforced-concrete structure with a gabled, pantiled roof, its ridge running north to south, and was repaired in 1989.
Doorways open on the east and west sides. Inside is a single earthen-floored room, plain and generous, the working space of a warehouse rather than a showroom.
Scale that anchors the row
The building joined the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in August 2025 for its place in the townscape near the station. Its size is part of the point: as the biggest store on the site, it anchors the row that greets travellers arriving at Maebashi Station.
Overhead, a wooden king-post truss is left exposed. The walls are finished in plaster above a wainscot of vertical boarding, a straightforward interior that has aged into something worth keeping.
Visiting
No. 7 is still in service and closed to the public inside, like the rest of the Jomo Soko group. From the street its long concrete flank and tiled roof stand out among the brick.
Travellers curious about why Maebashi built so many warehouses can trace the silk trade at the Maebashi Sericulture Memorial Hall, or at the Tomioka Silk Mill an hour or so away, both of which open their doors.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ebara Honke Jomo Warehouse Building 7
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- What was No. 7 used for?
- Grain. While the brick warehouses held silk and cocoons, No. 7 was built in 1950 as a store for rice and other grains.
- Is it the largest building on the site?
- Yes. At 463 square metres it is the biggest of the Jomo Soko warehouses, which is part of why it stands out in the row by the station.
- Can I look inside?
- No. It is a private, working warehouse. The exterior is visible from the public street near JR Maebashi Station.
- What is the roof structure?
- A wooden king-post truss, left exposed inside. The interior walls are plastered above a base of vertical boarding.
Basic Information
| Name | Ehara Honke Jomo Soko No. 7 Building |
|---|---|
| Location | 25-2 Omotecho 2-chome, Maebashi, Gunma |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), reg. no. 10-0366 |
| Registered | 6 August 2025 |
| Structure | Single-storey reinforced concrete, pantiled roof, 463 m² footprint |
| Period | Showa 25 (1950); repaired 1989 |
| Owner | Jomo Soko Co., Ltd. (private) |
| Access | Private working warehouse; exterior visible from public street, interior not open |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース — 江原本家上毛倉庫七号棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015404
- 群馬県 文化遺産課 — 群馬の文化財
- https://www.pref.gunma.jp/page/5190.html
- 前橋市 — 国指定文化財一覧
- https://www.city.maebashi.gunma.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/bunkazaihogo/gyomu/3/2/5104.html
Last verified: 2026.07.03