Former Matsuoka Shoten Office: A Window into Kiryu's Golden Age of Textiles
Tucked along a quiet street in the Eiraku-cho district of Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, the Former Matsuoka Shoten Office (旧松岡商店事務所) stands as an elegant testament to a pivotal era in Japan's textile history. Built in 1935 (Showa 10) during the peak of Kiryu's prosperity as one of Japan's foremost weaving centers, this registered tangible cultural property preserves the architectural ambitions and commercial spirit of the early Showa period in remarkable detail.
The building once served as the business headquarters of the Matsuoka Shoten, a textile trading company operated by Michiji Terauchi. Today, alongside its companion warehouse and the adjacent Terauchi family residence, the complex offers visitors a rare, intimate encounter with the commercial architecture that fueled Japan's modern textile boom — far removed from crowded tourist circuits and rich in authentic atmosphere.
The History and Significance of Matsuoka Shoten
Kiryu's reputation as a textile powerhouse stretches back more than 1,300 years, with records of silk fabrics being presented to the imperial court as early as 714 CE. By the Edo period, the city had earned the honorary title "Shokuto" (織都) — the Textile Capital — and a celebrated saying placed it alongside Kyoto's Nishijin district: "Nishijin in the west, Kiryu in the east."
The early Showa era brought Kiryu to its zenith. After recovering swiftly from the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, the city's textile industry surged around 1935, driven by aggressive expansion into continental export markets, the development of new products such as rayon fabrics, and innovative promotional campaigns. It was precisely at this peak of commercial confidence that the Matsuoka Shoten office was constructed — a tangible expression of the optimism and ambition that defined the era.
The Matsuoka Shoten dealt in textile products, and its office was purpose-built to handle every stage of the commercial process: from receiving raw goods to inspecting finished fabrics and conducting business with clients. The building's design reflects both the practical demands of the trade and the aesthetic aspirations of a prosperous merchant class eager to project modernity and success.
Why It Was Registered as a Cultural Property
The Former Matsuoka Shoten Office, along with the adjacent warehouse (旧松岡商店蔵) and the Terauchi Family Residence (寺内家住宅主屋), was registered as a national registered tangible cultural property on November 10, 2005. The registration recognizes these three buildings as an integrated complex that contributes to the historical landscape of Kiryu.
The office building is particularly valued for several reasons. Its brick-colored tile facade, a design trend popularized in Japan during the early Showa period, directly mirrors the aesthetic of the neighboring Kiryu Textile Hall (桐生織物会館), which was built just one year earlier in 1934. Together, these buildings form a coherent streetscape that vividly documents the architectural tastes and economic vitality of Kiryu's textile golden age.
Furthermore, the building preserves specialized functional spaces — such as the "kentai-ba" (検帯場), a room specifically designed for inspecting woven textile products — that are increasingly rare survivors of Japan's pre-war commercial architecture. The original manual winding shutters at the entrance and the loading bay also remain intact, offering tangible connections to the daily rhythms of early Showa-era commerce.
Architectural Highlights and Points of Interest
The Former Matsuoka Shoten Office is a single-story wooden structure with a total building area of approximately 190 square meters. The building forms a distinctive L-shape in plan, created by the perpendicular intersection of two sections: the main office wing running north-south and the textile inspection room (kentai-ba) running east-west. A warehouse is nestled into the interior angle where the two wings meet, while a loading bay extends from the south side.
The Office Wing
The main office section measures approximately 12.94 meters in length and 6.29 meters in depth. Its exterior walls are clad in brick-colored tiles on both the front and north-facing elevations, creating a Western-style appearance that stands out elegantly on the quiet residential street. The hipped roof is covered with traditional Japanese san-kawara tiles, and the total height of the building reaches 5.25 meters.
The central entrance is flanked by windows on both sides. To the right of the entrance, a cast bronze nameplate reading "Matsuoka Shoten, Proprietor: Michiji Terauchi" (松岡商店 店主寺内道次) remains affixed to the wall. To the left, an ornamental floral relief executed in mortar adds a charming decorative accent. Inside, the office is divided into two interconnected rooms with wooden plank flooring, oriented to face the road on the east side.
The Textile Inspection Room (Kentai-ba)
The kentai-ba was the heart of the commercial operation — a dedicated space where finished textile products were carefully examined for quality before being sent to market. This room measures approximately 12.56 meters by 6.26 meters and features a hipped tile roof fitted with skylights designed to flood the interior with the natural light essential for accurate fabric inspection. Although a later ceiling installation has concealed these skylights from the interior, they remain an important architectural feature that speaks to the building's specialized purpose.
The kentai-ba suffered an internal fire around 1960, but the structural integrity of the building was maintained, with damage limited to scorching of floors and interior walls — a testament to the quality of the original construction.
The Loading Bay and Original Features
The loading bay (荷受場), which projects from the south side, was designed with a ground-level earthen floor to allow direct access from the street for receiving goods. Its facade features a tiled wing wall on the left side and a distinctive circular window on the right — a playful design element that adds visual interest to the streetscape. The bay's gable roof is fitted with skylights for illumination.
Among the most notable surviving original features are the manual winding shutters (手動巻上げ式シャッター扉) installed at both the main entrance and the loading bay. These shutters, with their traditional swing doors behind, are rare intact examples of early Showa-era commercial hardware.
The Companion Buildings
The Former Matsuoka Shoten complex includes two additional registered cultural properties that together paint a complete picture of the merchant's world in 1935 Kiryu.
The warehouse (旧松岡商店蔵) is a compact two-story wooden structure measuring approximately 6.4 meters by 4.5 meters, built between the office and the residence. Its exterior is finished in a washed-aggregate mortar, and originally it featured a flat mortar-coated roof that was later covered with a gable-style metal roof. The north-facing wall, which fronts the road, features four sets of double-opening windows on both stories.
The Terauchi Family Residence (寺内家住宅主屋) is a two-story wooden building with an irimoya-style (hipped-gable) roof. While appearing to be a traditional Japanese residence with its lap-board exterior cladding and tatami rooms, it contains a striking Western-style parlor complete with a mantelpiece-style display shelf. Most remarkably, the house was equipped with steam heating from the time of its construction — powered by an outdoor boiler — making it a sophisticated example of early Showa-era modern Japanese residential architecture. The upper floor was divided into smaller rooms that once served as dormitory quarters for employees of the textile business.
Exploring the Neighborhood
The Former Matsuoka Shoten Office is situated in the Eiraku-cho district, just steps from JR Kiryu Station, placing it at the heart of the city's cluster of textile-related heritage sites. This concentration of historical buildings makes for an excellent walking tour that captures the full scope of Kiryu's remarkable industrial and architectural legacy.
Immediately next door stands the Kiryu Textile Memorial Hall (桐生織物記念館), housed in the former Kiryu Textile Trade Association building from 1934. This scratch-tile-clad landmark now operates as a museum and sales gallery where visitors can learn about the 1,300-year history of Kiryu textiles and even try their hand at traditional weaving — all free of charge. The stylistic kinship between the two buildings is immediately apparent, as the Matsuoka Shoten office adopted the same brick-tile aesthetic that was fashionable among Kiryu's textile elite of the era.
A short walk north along Honcho-dori leads to the Kiryu Shinmachi Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (桐生新町重伝建地区), where Edo and Meiji-era merchant houses, sawtooth-roofed weaving factories, and historic storehouses line the streets. Notable stops include the Yurinkan cultural complex (有鄰館), the Goto Textile factory, and the elegant Nishi-Kiryu Station of the Jomo Electric Railway — itself a registered cultural property with a distinctively Art Deco design.
For a deeper dive into Kiryu's industrial heritage, the Silk Spinning Memorial Hall (絹撚記念館), housed in a grand Meiji-era model factory building, offers fascinating exhibits on the mechanization of silk production. And nature lovers can venture to the Watarase Keikoku Railway for a scenic journey through the mountain gorge — another landscape rich in registered cultural properties, including historic bridges and tunnels.
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Q＆A
- Can I go inside the Former Matsuoka Shoten Office?
- The Former Matsuoka Shoten Office is a privately owned building, so interior access is generally not available to the public. However, its distinctive brick-tile facade, decorative mortar relief, and original shutters can be fully appreciated from the street. Visitors walking through the Eiraku-cho area will find numerous other registered cultural properties that can be viewed externally as part of a heritage walking tour.
- How do I get to the Former Matsuoka Shoten Office from Tokyo?
- From Tokyo, take the JR Takasaki Line to Takasaki Station, then transfer to the JR Ryomo Line and ride to Kiryu Station. The total journey takes approximately two hours. From Kiryu Station, the Former Matsuoka Shoten Office is about a five-minute walk to the west, in the Eiraku-cho district.
- What is the best time to visit Kiryu for cultural heritage sightseeing?
- Kiryu can be enjoyed year-round. Spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) offer the most pleasant walking weather. The first Saturday of each month brings the popular Kiryu Tenjin Market to nearby Kiryu Tenmangu Shrine, where antiques, crafts, and local foods are sold along the historic Honcho street — an excellent complement to a heritage walking tour.
- Are there English-language resources available for exploring Kiryu's cultural properties?
- While detailed English-language signage at individual cultural properties is limited, the Kiryu Tourism Information Center "Silkle Kiryu" near JR Kiryu Station offers maps and information in multiple languages. The city's official website also provides some multilingual support. Combining these resources with a self-guided walking map of the Eiraku-cho and Honcho areas makes for an enriching and navigable experience.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Matsuoka Shoten Office (旧松岡商店事務所) |
|---|---|
| Cultural Property Category | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Registration Date | November 10, 2005 |
| Year Built | 1935 (Showa 10) |
| Structure | Single-story wooden frame, tile roof (kawara-buki) |
| Building Area | Approximately 190 square meters |
| Address | 6-7 Eiraku-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture 376-0023 |
| Access | Approximately 5 minutes on foot from JR Kiryu Station (JR Ryomo Line) |
| Related Properties | Former Matsuoka Shoten Warehouse, Terauchi Family Residence (all three buildings registered together) |
| Public Access | Exterior viewing only (private property) |
References
- 旧松岡商店事務所他2棟｜桐生市ホームページ
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1001993.html
- 国登録文化財一覧｜桐生市ホームページ
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1001989.html
- 桐生織物会館旧館｜桐生市ホームページ
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1001995.html
- 桐生織物記念館公式ウェブサイト
- https://kiryuorimonokinenkan.com/
- 桐生織 | 桐生織物記念館公式ウェブサイト
- https://kiryuorimonokinenkan.com/kiryutextile/
- 登録有形文化財（建造物） | 文化庁
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/toroku_yukei.html
Last verified: 2026.03.26