A Corner Shop-House of 1937
The Sano Shoten Store and Residence (佐野商店店舗兼住宅) is a merchant house of 1937 in Nuttari-higashi, Chuo Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 28, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 60 square metres; registration number 15-0042.
A General Store and Home
The Sano Shoten Store and Residence is the shop and home of Sano Shoten, a general merchant, and is said to have been built in 1937 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It stands on the corner where two streets meet at right angles.
Why It Was Registered
The Sano Shoten Store and Residence was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape. The Agency notes that it keeps the traditional form of the local merchant house well.
What to Look For
It is a full two-storey timber building with a hipped (yosemune) pantile roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The eaves are carried out on projecting brackets in the segai style, and small roofs shelter the openings on both floors.
The walls are clad in vertical boards. Compare the two street faces of the Sano Shoten Store and Residence to see the layered small roofs that give the merchant house its character.
Visiting
The Sano Shoten Store and Residence stands on a street corner, so the exterior can be seen from the road. No official information on interior access or current business was found. The address is 4-5622 Nuttari-higashi, Chuo Ward, Niigata City (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Q&A
- When was the Sano Shoten Store and Residence built?
- It is said to date from 1937 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of building is the Sano Shoten Store and Residence?
- A full two-storey merchant house with a hipped roof, combining a general store and the family home.
- What should I look for?
- The bracketed segai eaves, the small roofs over the openings and the vertical board siding.
- Can I visit the Sano Shoten Store and Residence?
- The exterior is visible from the street; no information on interior access was found.
- When was the Sano Shoten Store and Residence registered?
- On April 28, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Sano Shoten Store and Residence (佐野商店店舗兼住宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-5622 Nuttari-higashi, Chuo Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/04/28 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, two storeys, tiled roof, building area 60 square metres |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; no interior access information |
References
- Sano Shoten Store and Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001570
Last verified: 2026.10.14