An Old Medicine Shop on the Nagasaki Road
Nonaka Usaien (野中烏犀圓) is the shop of an old medicine merchant of 1796 in Zaimoku, Saga City, Saga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 15, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 363 square metres, extended in 1928; registration number 41-0014.
A Medicine Merchant Said to Date from 1626
Nonaka Usaien is a long-established medicine merchant said to have been founded in 1626 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Apart from the shop and one formal reception room, the building is made up of later additions.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the broad plastered front, the great gable at its centre and the little roofed frame from which the shop sign hangs, which together keep the feel of an Edo-period merchant house; it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape along the old Nagasaki Road.
What to Look For
Look for the great gable at the centre of the front and the roofed frame for the shop sign (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Agency database lists no owner. No official information on business hours or visits was found.
Q&A
- When was the shop built?
- In 1796, with an extension of 1928 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the business founded?
- It is said to have been founded in 1626.
- What should I look for?
- The great gable and the roofed frame for the shop sign.
- Where is it?
- In Zaimoku, Saga City, near the old Nagasaki Road.
- When was Nonaka Usaien registered?
- On February 15, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Nonaka Usaien (野中烏犀圓) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-82 Zaimoku, Saga City, Saga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/02/15 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 363 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on opening |
References
- Nonaka Usaien (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001538
Last verified: 2026.10.21