A Shop Dressed as a Temple and a Castle
The Sunshodo Main House (寸松堂主屋) is a shop building of 1936 in Sasamemachi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a copper roof and a building area of 232 square metres, with a rooftop tower; registration number 14-0127.
Temple and Castle in One Façade
The Sunshodo Main House stands on a corner plot at a crossroads: a two-storey timber shop with a rooftop tower, under a hip-and-gable roof of seamed copper (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its exposed tie beams and bracket sets give it the air of a temple, and the tower is crowned with a Buddhist finial of rings.
The plastered walls with their lattices add the look of a castle (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and the shop inside has a coffered ceiling. According to Kamakura City, Sunshodo was founded in 1921, opened a shop near the present building in 1924 and later moved here.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency calls it a sturdy shop building of unusual appearance, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the tower with its finial of rings, the exposed tie beams and bracket sets, and the lattices in the plastered walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
According to Kamakura City, Sunshodo is a shop and house with a workshop, where Kamakura-bori lacquered carving is made and sold. The main house and storehouse are introduced together on the Sunshodo page. No official information on opening days was found.
Q&A
- When was the Sunshodo Main House built?
- In 1936 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does it look like?
- A temple-like front of tie beams and brackets mixed with castle-like plastered walls and lattices.
- What tops the tower?
- A Buddhist finial of rings.
- What does Sunshodo sell?
- Kamakura-bori lacquered carving, made on the premises (Kamakura City).
- When was the Sunshodo Main House registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Sunshodo Main House (寸松堂主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 292-1 Sasamemachi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber with rooftop tower, copper roof, 232 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on opening days |
References
- Sunshodo Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005712
- Kamakura City Historic Landscape Plan, second phase, chapter 2 (Kamakura City)
- https://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/fuuchi/documents/rekimachi2nd-2-6.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.22
