About the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse
The Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse (荻野家住宅店蔵, Ogino-ke Jūtaku Misegura) is a late-Meiji two-story shop in Dozo-zukuri fireproof storehouse construction facing east onto the old branch highway in Shimonita, Gunma Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2009. It was altered in the Taisho era and again around 1970. Buildings of this kind are known as Misegura, and this one has a building area of 46 square meters.
The Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse measures 7.7 meters by 5.7 meters and runs its ridge parallel to the street (Hirairi). The roof is a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles, and a Hisashi canopy projects over the front.
The Street Front of the Shop Storehouse
The walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster, with a lower band of mortar in the Araidashi technique, where the surface is washed to expose the aggregate. The ground floor of the front was originally closed with heavy Tsuchido earthen doors that could be shut against fire, and two windows open on the upper floor.
The detail the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is the ridge. The main ridge along the top of the roof is elaborately built and is the first thing that catches the eye when you look up at the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse from the street. Follow the front from the plinth up to the ridge and you can see how much care went into the face the business showed its customers.
Why It Was Registered
The shop storehouse carries registration number 10-0271 and was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The main house next door shows its gable to the street, while the shop storehouse lays its long eaves along it, and the two orientations side by side give the frontage its rhythm.
Work in the Taisho era and around 1970 has changed fittings such as the front doors, but the solid mass of the storehouse and the design of its ridge survive.
Visiting the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse
The Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse is privately owned and its interior is not open to the public.
Because it stands on the street, the white front, the canopy and the ridge can probably be seen from the public road, and stepping back a little makes the whole ridge easier to take in. Please photograph only from the road and keep clear of the residents and of traffic.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse built?
- It dates from the late Meiji era and was altered in the Taisho era and again around 1970.
- How big is the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse?
- It is a two-story fireproof storehouse of 7.7 meters by 5.7 meters with a gabled pantile roof and a building area of 46 square meters.
- What should I look for at the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse?
- The white plaster walls, the washed-mortar lower band, the canopy over the front and, above all, the elaborate ridge.
- Why is the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on August 7, 2009, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse?
- The interior is not open, but the building faces the street and its exterior can be seen from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 334 Nishi-ko, Nakamachi, Oaza Shimonita, Shimonita Town, Kanra District, Gunma Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/8/7 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 46 square meters (7.7 meters by 5.7 meters) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency's database (private residence) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogino Family Residence Shop Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007723
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogino Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007722
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shimonita Town, Gunma (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/region/10/10382
Last verified: 2026.10.07
