The Street Front of a Timber Merchant
The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store (黒沢治助商店店舗, Kurosawa Jisuke Shōten Tenpo) is a 2-storey timber townhouse shop of the late Taisho period (1912 to 1925) on the main street of the Nakamachi district of Fukuoka, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2009.
It occupies the west end of a long, narrow plot on the east side of the street, the face that the timber and forestry business of Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten turned to the town. The building measures 8.5 by 12 metres, with a building area of 100 square metres, under a Kirizuma-zukuri gable roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. The eaves are sealed in lime plaster.
Why It Was Registered
A Registered Tangible Cultural Property can be listed on one of three criteria. The Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store was listed as a building that would be difficult to reproduce, a criterion shared by only one other structure on the site, the No. 1 and No. 2 storehouses.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to materials and design: much fine and large-section timber, put together to a high standard. For a merchant who dealt in timber, the shop itself doubled as a showcase for the quality of the goods.
What to Look For: Two Reception Rooms Upstairs
The ground floor held the office and the working side of the business. Upstairs the purpose changes. Two Zashiki reception rooms of 15 and 20 tatami mats sit side by side, fitted with Zashiki-kazari, the formal alcove arrangement that marks a room for guests.
Together they come to 35 mats, a generous amount of formal space for a street-front shop. It suggests the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store was a place to entertain clients as well as to keep the books. From across the road, the plastered eaves of the upper floor hint at the rooms behind them.
Seeing the Store
Because the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store faces the street, its exterior can be seen from the public road. No interior opening has been announced, and we found no occasion when the upstairs rooms are shown (checked 29 September 2026).
Granite gateposts and a low stone wall stand in front of the shop. Stand on the far side of the road to frame gate and store together, and the formal street front of the house makes sense at a glance. The site is private property, so stay outside the gate.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Iwate
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store
- [ Visit Hiraizumi & Chusonji Temple World Heritage ]
Q&A
- How old is the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store?
- It dates from the late Taisho period (1912 to 1925), the same period the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives for the main house, corridor, and gate and stone wall.
- What is on the upper floor of the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store?
- Two reception rooms of 15 and 20 tatami mats fitted with a formal alcove arrangement. The ground floor held the office.
- Why is the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 2 November 2009 as a building difficult to reproduce, for its generous use of fine, large timbers and its high-quality design.
- How big is the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store?
- It is a 2-storey timber building of 8.5 by 12 metres with a building area of 100 square metres.
- Can I go inside the Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store?
- No interior opening has been announced. The exterior can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Kurosawa Jisuke Shoten Store (黒沢治助商店店舗) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6 Nakamachi, Fukuoka, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/11/2 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 100 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Interior not open (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- 黒沢治助商店店舗 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007827
- 黒沢治助商店店舗 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/143588
Last verified: 2026.09.29
