What Is the Gyokusendo Store?
The Gyokusendo Store (玉川堂店舗, Gyokusendō Tenpo) is a late-Meiji wooden shop building in Tsubame Aza Nishigo, Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 8, 2008.
Gyokusendo's lot runs back from the west side of the street in a long strip, and the Gyokusendo Store occupies its front end. The national database dates the building to the late Meiji period and gives the span 1868 to 1911. Of the four Gyokusendo buildings registered that day, it is the only one older than the Taisho era.
A summary sheet from Tsubame City adds the note "former main house" after the store's name. That hints the building once served as the family residence before it became the sales floor, though the city does not say when the change happened.
Why the Gyokusendo Store Was Registered
The Gyokusendo Store was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the criterion for buildings that serve as a model of design. Its three neighbours on the lot were listed for their contribution to the townscape; the store was listed for the quality of its own form.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the plan: it preserves the rooms where an old-established merchant received customers. Tsubame City makes the same point, describing Japanese-style rooms set in a row beside an earth-floored passage.
Those rooms still do their job. Gyokusendo's English website says that visitors who finish the workshop tour are shown into a tatami room, where they can pick up and handle the finished copperware.
Inside the Gyokusendo Store: Layout and Details
The Gyokusendo Store has two parts. Facing the street is a 2-storey wooden block measuring 8.5 meters along the ridge and 3.6 meters deep, a shallow, elongated volume. Behind it, set at a right angle, a single-storey wing reaches 8.2 meters back. The roof is tiled, and the total building area is 128 square meters.
Inside, a Toriniwa, an earth-floored passage, runs the full depth of the north side, with the Japanese rooms lined up to the south. This is the classic arrangement of a Machiya townhouse on a narrow lot, and once you step in, you can see the passage heading straight toward the rear.
According to the national database, the southern half of the facade originally had an earth-floored veranda and a board veranda. Compare that description with the front you see today and try to picture where they once ran.
The Tsubame City Tourist Association also points visitors to the shop sign, made by skilled craftsmen. Take a look at it before you go in.
Visiting the Gyokusendo Store
The Gyokusendo Store is a working shop, so you can walk in during business hours without a reservation. Its shelves hold kettles, teaware, sake vessels, coffee sets and other pieces.
For a closer look at the interior, including the tatami room, join the workshop tour and follow the staff afterward. Ask before taking photos inside the Gyokusendo Store.
Opening days, tour times and directions from the station are covered on the Gyokusendo page.
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Q&A
- When was the Gyokusendo Store built?
- The national database dates the Gyokusendo Store to the late Meiji period, with a span of 1868 to 1911. It is the oldest of the four registered Gyokusendo buildings.
- Why is the Gyokusendo Store a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- The Gyokusendo Store was registered on July 8, 2008, as a building that serves as a model of design. Its plan, with Japanese rooms beside an earth-floored passage, preserves the space where an old merchant house welcomed customers.
- Can I go inside the Gyokusendo Store?
- Yes. The Gyokusendo Store is still the company's shop and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Sundays and public holidays. No reservation is needed.
- Can I take photos inside the Gyokusendo Store?
- The Gyokusendo Store is an active shop, so please ask staff first. On the workshop tour, flash and video are not allowed.
- What is distinctive about the Gyokusendo Store's layout?
- The Gyokusendo Store has an earth-floored passage along the north side and Japanese rooms to the south. Behind the 2-storey front block, a single-storey wing 8.2 meters deep is attached at a right angle.
Basic Information
| Name | Gyokusendo Store |
|---|---|
| Location | 3064-1 and others, Tsubame Aza Nishigo, Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2008 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys with a single-storey section, tiled roof; building area 128 square meters (2-storey block 8.5 meters by 3.6 meters) |
| Owner | Gyokusendo |
| Public Access | Open as a shop (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Sundays and public holidays) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Gyokusendo Store (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007202
- Cultural Heritage Online: Gyokusendo Store (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/120074
- Cultural Properties of Tsubame City (Tsubame City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.tsubame.niigata.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/3/10564/15/966.html
- Gyokusendo, 4 Properties: Summary (Tsubame City, Japanese PDF)
- https://www.city.tsubame.niigata.jp/material/files/group/29/100890585.pdf
- Tsubame Showroom & Workshop (Gyokusendo)
- https://www.gyokusendo.com/en/about/tsubame
- Open Factory (Gyokusendo)
- https://www.gyokusendo.com/en/openfactory
- Walking Tour of Tsubame (Tsubame City Tourist Association, Japanese)
- https://tsubame-kankou.jp/walk/tsubame/
Last verified: 2026.09.17
