Former Tanakamaru House and Warehouse, Ushizu

Former Tanakamaru House and Warehouse

The Former Tanakamaru House and Warehouse (旧田中丸家住宅・倉庫) in Ushizucho Ushizu, Ogi City, Saga Prefecture, belonged to the leading merchant family of Ushizu, a post town on the Nagasaki Highway; their brick warehouse of the mid-Meiji era and their early Taisho residence became Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 2000 and 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The warehouse was registered on September 26, 2000, and the residence on August 28, 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Two Buildings

The Ushizu Red Brick Hall is the two-storey brick warehouse of the Tanakamaru store, forerunner of a department store, with dentils under the eaves, stone-and-brick gable vents and a gently curved roof; it is loved as a symbol of the once-thriving town (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Ushizu Town Hall was built as the main residence of a prominent Kyushu business leader of the family, a two-storey timber house with reception and living wings either side of an entrance block, grand outside and delicately sukiya-style within (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Each building is described on its own page.

Visiting

Both are owned by Ogi City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on visiting was found.