A Meiji Inn in Nakanojo
Shiroiya (白井屋) is a two-storey timber inn of the Meiji period in the town centre of Nakanojo, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 28, 2001. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it is said to have opened as an inn around 1892, when government offices were first being built nearby.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a two-storey timber building with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 111 square metres; registration number 10-0079. Nakanojo Town lists it among the town's national registered properties.
An Inn by a Branch of the Mikuni Road
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the building faces east onto a new road leading to a branch route of the Mikuni highway. Opened in Nakanojo in the mid-Meiji period, as the town gained public offices, it is counted among the surviving Meiji-period travellers' inns.
Five six-mat guest rooms line the upper floor, showing its plan as a lodging for travellers (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
Shiroiya was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it among the surviving inns of the Meiji period.
What to Look For
Shiroiya is seven ken wide and four ken deep, a two-storey timber building under a gabled roof with the entrance on the long side (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The upper floor is built in the segai style, with deep eaves carried on beams cantilevered from the posts (Agency for Cultural Affairs). This projecting upper storey along the street gives the building the look of a Meiji inn.
Visiting
We could not confirm any public opening of Shiroiya. The address is 1798 Nakanojo, Nakanojo Town; please view it only from the road and respect the residents' privacy (Nakanojo Town).
Q&A
- When did Shiroiya open as an inn?
- Around 1892, when government offices were first being built nearby, according to tradition (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Which road does Shiroiya face?
- A new road leading to a branch route of the Mikuni highway, facing east (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What are the main features of Shiroiya?
- A gabled two-storey timber building with a segai-style upper floor holding five six-mat guest rooms (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit Shiroiya?
- We could not confirm any public opening; the exterior can be seen from the road.
- When was Shiroiya registered?
- On August 28, 2001.
Basic Information
| Name | Shiroiya (Nakanojo) (白井屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1798 Nakanojo, Nakanojo Town, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2001/8/28 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 111 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed (Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (exterior from the road) |
References
- Shiroiya (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002214
- List of national and prefectural cultural properties (Nakanojo Town)
- https://www.town.nakanojo.gunma.jp/soshiki/15/1167.html
Last verified: 2026.10.10