The Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse
The Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse (島田商店旧倉庫, Shimada Shōten Kyū-sōko) is a two-storey timber warehouse of 1953 in Tomoecho 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 29, 2006; its registration number is 10-0206.
It stands behind the former stone storehouse in the northwest corner of the lot, with no street frontage (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Kiryu City). It went up in the same year as the main house and the middle gate.
A Timber Twin of the Stone Storehouse
The Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse is a two-storey timber building with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantile (Sangawara-buki) roof, 6 ken by 5 ken, framed with a king post truss (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In size and roof framing it matches the stone storehouse to its south, built 16 years earlier.
A pair of iron doors hangs in the doorway at the centre of the east side, and small windows open on the upper floor to the east and south. The walls are rendered in mortar, and the band under the eaves (Hachimaki) has a washed finish that exposes small pebbles (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency sees modern features in its mortar walls and washed-finish band. It is the second store the business added after the war, and one of the buildings that enclose the back of the lot.
What to Look For
The feature to note on the Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse is the pair of iron doors in the middle of the east side: a timber store, but with its entrance guarded by iron.
The pebbled band running under the eaves contrasts in texture with the smooth mortar of the walls.
Visiting
The Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse stands at the back of the lot with no street frontage, and there is no information on interior access. Little of it can be seen from the street.
Q&A
- When was the Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse built?
- In 1953 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse?
- In the northwest corner of the lot, behind the former stone storehouse, with no street frontage (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Kiryu City).
- How is the Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse built?
- Timber, 2 storeys, with a gabled pantile roof, 6 ken by 5 ken and framed with a king post truss (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse?
- There is no interior access, and as it stands at the back of the lot little can be seen from the street.
- When was the Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse registered?
- On November 29, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse (島田商店旧倉庫) |
|---|---|
| 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 99 m² |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | No interior access; stands at the back of the lot with no street frontage |
References
- Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005927
- Shimada Shoten Former Warehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/171232
- 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
