The Oldest Building on the Sosendo Plot
The Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse (早撰堂菓子店西土蔵, Sōsendō Kashiten Nishi-dozō) is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse of 1887 in Omachi, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 26 December 2005.
It stands west of the main house in the southwest corner of the plot, its ridge running east to west. The building area is 30 square meters and it measures 2 and a half bays by 3 bays. It is gabled and pantiled, entered from the gable end, with its doorway on the east side. The master carpenter, as for the main house, is recorded as Masuda Torakichi.
Why It Was Registered
The Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse carries registration number 15-0192 and was registered on the same day as the main house and the east storehouse, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Built in 1887, it is 6 years older than the main house of 1893 and the oldest of the three registered buildings. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a carefully made storehouse, with black plaster details and stepped, close-fitting doors. Because the same carpenter built both, the shop and its store can be seen as the work of one craftsman over several years.
What to Look For
A Detached Roof
The Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse has an okiyane, a roof built as a separate frame and set on top of the plastered body of the store, leaving a gap between the two.
Black Bands and Stepped Doors
The band under the eaves and other details are finished in black plaster, and the doors are kakego-nuri, their edges built up in stepped layers of plaster so that they close tight against the frame. A dark band runs beneath the eaves, and the door closes the east entrance.
Visiting
The Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse stands at the back of a working sweet shop, in the southwest corner of the plot. No opening of its interior is announced. You can visit the shop as a customer, but if you hope to see the storehouse, ask the staff rather than walking into the back of the property.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse?
- No interior opening is announced. It stands at the back of a working shop, so ask the staff if you would like to see it.
- When was the Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse built and registered?
- It was built in 1887 and registered on 26 December 2005 as number 15-0192.
- How is the Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse built?
- It is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 30 square meters, 2 and a half bays by 3 bays, gabled and entered from the gable end, with a detached roof.
- Which is older, the Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse or the main house?
- The west storehouse, built in 1887; the main house dates from 1893. Masuda Torakichi was master carpenter for both.
- What finishes does the Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse have?
- Black plaster on the band beneath the eaves and other details, and kakego-nuri stepped plaster doors.
Basic Information
| Name | Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse (早撰堂菓子店西土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1510 Omachi, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/12/26 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey clay-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 30 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | No announced interior opening (within a working shop's premises) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005115
- Cultural Heritage Online, Sosendo Confectionery Shop West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/151725
- National Cultural Properties Database, Sosendo Confectionery Shop Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005114
Last verified: 2026.10.01
