The Shimada Shoten Store
The Shimada Shoten Store (島田商店店舗, Shimada Shōten Tenpo) is a two-storey timber shop of the Taisho period in Tomoecho 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 29, 2006; its registration number is 10-0203.
It stands at the southeast corner of a lot with streets on its south and east sides. The building was already there when the Shimada family bought the land in 1928, and in 1937 they remodelled it as their own shop (Kiryu City).
A Square Shop with a Cut Corner
The Shimada Shoten Store is almost square in plan, 3.5 ken on each side, with a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof of pantiles (Sangawara-buki) and an east-west ridge (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Kiryu City). Its southeast corner, facing the street junction, is cut off at an angle, a feature the Agency counts as modern.
On the ground floor an earthen-floored aisle bends around the front under the eaves, with a tatami-floored shop behind it and an 8-mat room to the north. Upstairs are a 6-mat reception room, a 6-mat anteroom and a boarded room, wrapped by an outer veranda with a handrail (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Shimada Shoten Store was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. It addresses two streets at once, and Kiryu City notes that a shop with a bent earthen aisle under its eaves is rare in the city.
What to Look For
Walk around the Shimada Shoten Store from the east side to the south and you will see glazed doors running across both fronts, turning at the cut corner. According to Kiryu City, these single-pane doors still hold glass from 1937.
Look up, too, at the handrail of the upstairs veranda.
Visiting
The Shimada Shoten Store is privately owned and there is no information on interior access; Kiryu City reports that the shop has closed. The exterior can be seen from the south and east streets, and the corner where they meet gives the best view of the cut corner and the glazed doors.
Q&A
- When was the Shimada Shoten Store built?
- In the Taisho period (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Shimada family bought it in 1928 and remodelled it as their shop in 1937 (Kiryu City).
- What should I look for at the Shimada Shoten Store?
- The cut southeast corner, the glazed doors of 1937 running across the east and south fronts, and the upstairs handrail.
- What did the Shimada Shoten Store sell?
- Tobacco and general goods, and in recent years only tea, according to Kiryu City. The shop has since closed.
- Can I go inside the Shimada Shoten Store?
- No interior access is offered. The exterior can be seen from the south and east streets.
- When was the Shimada Shoten Store registered?
- On November 29, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shimada Shoten Store (島田商店店舗) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1121-8 Tomoecho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/11/29 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tile roof, building area 59 m² |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | No interior access; exterior visible from the south and east streets |
References
- Shimada Shoten Store (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005824
- Shimada Shoten Store (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/190550
- Shimada Shoten and Shimada Family Residence, 7 buildings (Kiryu City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1008501.html
Last verified: 2026.11.01
