A Plastered Shop Facing the Station Road

The Segawa Sake Shop Main House (瀬川酒店主屋) is a two-storey plastered timber shop of 1917 facing south onto the road running west from JR Zentsuji Station at Kamiyoshida-cho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 14, 2002 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records two storeys of timber with a tiled roof and a building area of 100 square metres, registration number 37-0090. Zentsuji City lists it as privately owned.

Home of Shidan-ichi Sake

According to the Zentsuji City Digital Museum, the Segawa Sake Shop stands on the main street running from JR Zentsuji Station, opposite the city hall. It began in 1898 as a branch of the Maruo sake shop of Enai, Kotohira; the present building was raised in 1917, followed by north, west and east storehouses.

The museum adds that the shop once brewed its own sake, sold as Shidan-ichi ("best in the division") after General Nogi Maresuke, first commander of the army division at Zentsuji, praised sake offered at the Hachiman shrine on his return from the Russo-Japanese War. Brewing stopped late in the Second World War when rice ran out, but the shop has kept its traditional frontage.

Value as a Registered Cultural Property

The Segawa Sake Shop Main House was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its long hip-and-gable tiled roof is a familiar sight on the street, as is its Shidan-ichi brand.

What to Look For

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a plastered shop about eight bays wide, opposite the city hall, with a low upper storey pierced by slatted mushiko windows; the master carpenter is said to have been Onda Sadakichi.

The city describes the solid, traditional frontage of the Segawa Sake Shop Main House under its tiled hip-and-gable roof (Zentsuji City).

Visiting

The Segawa Sake Shop Main House is privately owned, and its business and interior access have not been confirmed; please view it from the street. The address is 1-4-10 Kamiyoshida-cho, Zentsuji City, on a street lined with old buildings from the station (Zentsuji City). Both registered buildings are gathered on the group page Segawa Sake Shop.

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Q&A

QWhen was it built?
AIn 1917 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Zentsuji City).
QWhat is Shidan-ichi?
AThe shop's sake brand, named after General Nogi praised its sake (Zentsuji City).
QWhat does it look like?
AA plastered shop with a low upper storey, mushiko windows and a long tiled hip-and-gable roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
QCan visitors go inside?
AIt is privately owned, and no public access information has been confirmed.
QWhen was the Segawa Sake Shop Main House registered?
AOn February 14, 2002.

Basic Information

NameSegawa Sake Shop Main House (瀬川酒店主屋)
Location1-4-10 Kamiyoshida-cho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture
DesignationRegistered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure)
Year DesignatedRegistered 2002/02/14 (Heisei 14)
Quantity1 building
DimensionsTimber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 100 square metres
OwnerPrivate (per the Zentsuji City list)
Public AccessExterior only (no public access information)

References

Segawa Sake Shop Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties)
https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002692
Segawa Sake Shop East Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties)
https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002826
Segawa Sake Shop (Zentsuji City Digital Museum)
https://www.city.zentsuji.kagawa.jp/soshiki/50/digi-m-culture-detail-046-index.html
Cultural Properties of Zentsuji (Zentsuji City)
https://www.city.zentsuji.kagawa.jp/soshiki/50/bunkazai.html

Last verified: 2026.10.12