The Founding House of Shoda Shoyu
The Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall (正田醤油正田記念館) is a timber building of two storeys with a single-storey part, built in 1853 as the home and shop of the Shoda family on the grounds of Shoda Shoyu at Sakae-cho, Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture, moved in 1987 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 17, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Shoda Shoyu).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a tiled roof and a building area of 191 square metres, registration number 10-0106. It is also a component of the Japan Heritage story "Sato-numa" (Japan Heritage Portal).
From Rice Dealer to Soy Sauce Brewer
According to Shoda Shoyu, the Shoda family ran the rice dealership Yonebun from the Edo period, and the third Shoda Bun'emon turned the business to soy sauce brewing in 1873. The Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall was built in 1853 by the second Bun'emon as the family home and shop, and served as the company headquarters until 1986 (Shoda Shoyu).
The memorial hall displays items from the Edo to the Showa period, from a family tree spanning 300 years to brewing tools of the founding years and early Showa posters (Shoda Shoyu).
Value as a Registered Cultural Property
The Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it was the original shop and residence, and that its ridge tag names the master carpenter Kurihara Toemon.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a gabled two-storey main block eight bays by three and a half, with half-bay lean-tos on the south and east, a single-storey wing to the north, and the upper roof swept down over the back on the west.
Exhibits in the Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall include a medicine case the second Bun'emon carried on a journey in 1844, a happi coat from the rice-dealing days and tubs used in early soy sauce brewing (Shoda Shoyu).
Visiting
According to Shoda Shoyu, the Shoda Memorial Hall can be visited free of charge from 10:00 to 16:00 on company working days (closed weekends, holidays, summer break and New Year); groups of ten or more must book. Factory tours are currently suspended. It is a 2-minute walk from the west exit of Tatebayashi Station on the Tobu Isesaki Line.
See the group page Shoda Shoyu (Tatebayashi) for all six registered buildings.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall
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Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1853, by the second Shoda Bun'emon (Shoda Shoyu, Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was it originally?
- The family home and shop, used as company headquarters until 1986 (Shoda Shoyu).
- Who built it?
- The ridge tag names the master carpenter Kurihara Toemon (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can visitors go inside?
- Yes, free of charge from 10:00 to 16:00 on company working days (Shoda Shoyu).
- When was the Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall registered?
- On February 17, 2004.
Basic Information
| Name | Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall (正田醤油正田記念館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-1 Sakae-cho, Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/02/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys partly single storey, tiled roof, building area 191 square metres |
| Owner | Shoda Shoyu Co. |
| Public Access | Weekdays 10:00 to 16:00, free admission |
References
- Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003808
- Shoda Shoyu Archive Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003809
- Shoda Shoyu Brewery Storehouse No. 6 (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003810
- Shoda Memorial Hall Visits (Shoda Shoyu)
- https://www.shoda.co.jp/facility/kinenkan
- Shoda Shoyu Shoda Memorial Hall (Japan Heritage Portal)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/4182/
Last verified: 2026.10.11
