What Is the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House?
The Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House (魚橋呉服店南主屋, Uohashi Gofukuten Minami Shuoku) is a two-story townhouse forming the southern half of the Uohashi Kimono Store on the old Nozato highway in Itokujimachi, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in 1899 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2014.
A timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 132 square meters, it is the oldest of the store's four registered buildings, 26 years older than the shop and main house next door. The national database gives its address as 50 Itokujimachi, a separate lot from the 51-1 of its neighbor.
Why the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House Was Registered
The Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs sees it as forming the historic scene of Nozato together with the shop and main house to the north.
Its value lies as much in the pairing as in the building alone. A Meiji townhouse with eaves set a step lower runs on from the taller Taisho shop, and the change in height gives this stretch of the Nozato road a visible layering of two eras.
What to Look for at the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House
The eaves of the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House sit lower than those of its northern neighbor. The roof is laid in Hongawarabuki tiles, and the upper floor of the front is built in the Degeta-zukuri manner, with plaster carried all the way over the rafter ends. Its upper windows are Mushiko-mado, plaster walls cut with vertical slats. Next door the upper windows are glazed; setting the two sets of windows side by side is the best way to read the building.
On the ground floor, an earth-floored passage runs along the south side. The front part, nearest the street, is now a garage, and behind it lies the nakanoma, the middle room. The garage is unlikely to date from 1899 and probably reflects a later change of use, but the sources do not say when it was made.
Further back, across a small courtyard garden, a detached room is joined to the house. From the shop front to the middle room, the garden and the reception room, the house grows quieter the further in you go, in the classic townhouse manner.
Visiting the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House
The Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House is privately owned, and the city and national sources give no information on interior access. Its front can be seen from the Nozato road. The step down in eaves height is clearest when viewed from the opposite pavement, looking at the junction with the shop and main house to the north.
The courtyard garden and detached room behind it cannot be seen from the street. Directions are on the Uohashi Kimono Store page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House built?
- In 1899. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014.
- How does the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House differ from the shop and main house?
- It is 26 years older, has lower eaves, and uses slatted mushiko-mado windows on the upper floor where its neighbor has glass.
- How is the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House laid out?
- An earth-floored passage runs along the south side, with a garage at the front and the nakanoma behind it; a detached room is joined at the back across a courtyard garden.
- What is the roof of the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House like?
- It is laid in hongawara tiles, and the upper floor at the front has projecting beams with plaster carried over the rafter ends.
- Can I visit the Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House?
- No information on interior access is published. The front can be seen from the Nozato road.
Basic Information
| Name | Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 50 Itokujimachi, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 132 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Exterior only (no information on interior access; privately owned) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010015
- Cultural Heritage Online: Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House (in Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/260482
- Himeji City: Uohashi Kimono Store South Main House (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001857.html
- Himeji City: List of Registered Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
