Daini Shoten Shop: An Early Meiji Misegura in Tochigi's Kura no Machi
Standing quietly along the old Nikko Reiheishi Kaido highway in Tochigi City, the Daini Shoten Shop (大二商店店舗) is a beautifully preserved two-story dozo-style merchant storehouse dating from the early Meiji period (estimated 1868–1880s). Registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property in October 2000, this compact misegura — a fireproof storehouse that doubles as a shop front — offers a vivid window into the commercial heritage of one of the Kanto region's most atmospheric historic townscapes.
Tochigi City, often called "Kura no Machi" (Town of Storehouses) or "Little Edo," flourished as a post town on the Reiheishi Kaido and as a river-port trading hub on the Uzuma River during the Edo period. The Daini Shoten Shop is one of many surviving misegura that line the main avenue, preserving the look and feel of a prosperous merchant quarter from over a century ago.
Historical Background
The building originally served as the shop front of a silk and cotton thread merchant operating under the trade name "Kamafuji" (釜藤). During the Meiji era, Tochigi's main thoroughfare was lined with merchants dealing in textiles, fertilizers, paper, and other goods, taking advantage of the town's position as a transport crossroads between the Nikko highway and the Uzuma River shipping route to Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Tochigi Town experienced several devastating fires during the late Edo period, including arson during the Tenguto Rebellion in 1864. These events accelerated the adoption of dozo (earthen-walled storehouse) construction for commercial buildings, as merchants sought fireproof structures to protect their livelihoods. The Daini Shoten Shop was built during this wave of reconstruction and represents one of the earliest surviving examples of misegura in the area.
The building is situated along the former Nikko Reiheishi Kaido — the route taken by imperial envoys sent annually from Kyoto to the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko. It faces west on the street and stands just south of the Yamamoto Yuzo Furusato Memorial Museum, another registered cultural property.
Why It Was Designated a Cultural Property
The Daini Shoten Shop was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property on October 18, 2000, as part of a broader effort to protect the historic streetscape of Tochigi's central district. Its significance lies in several distinctive features:
- It is a well-preserved example of a dozo-style misegura from the early Meiji period, a time when such fireproof commercial buildings were being adopted across the Kanto region.
- Its deliberately low profile and archaic second-floor window design suggest a construction date in the earliest years of Meiji, making it one of the older surviving misegura in Tochigi City.
- It contributes to the continuous historic streetscape along the former Reiheishi Kaido, helping to maintain the integrity of the "Kura no Machi" townscape that has been recognized for preservation since the late 1980s.
Architectural Highlights
The Daini Shoten Shop is a compact but finely crafted building with a total floor area of approximately 40 square meters. Its structure follows the classic Kanto-region misegura format established in Edo: a kirizuma-zukuri (gable) roof with hiraiiri (entrance on the long side), full two-story dozo construction, and a front lower eave (shitaya-hisashi) extending over the street-facing facade.
The building measures roughly 3.5 ken (approximately 6.4 meters) along the ridge and 3 ken (approximately 5.5 meters) in depth. Like many Tochigi misegura, the exterior walls would have been finished in dark-colored plaster (kuro-shikkui), giving the street its characteristic somber, dignified appearance. The tiled roof uses local kawara tiles, reflecting the area's tradition of tile production in the nearby Hakomori district.
One of the building's most notable features is its restrained height — deliberately kept lower than later misegura — and the old-fashioned style of its second-floor windows. These design elements are consistent with early Meiji building practices and distinguish the Daini Shoten Shop from the somewhat larger and more elaborate storehouses built later in the Meiji period.
Visitor Information
The Daini Shoten Shop is a privately owned building and is not open to the public as a museum or exhibit. However, its exterior can be freely admired from the street as part of a walking tour along the Kura no Machi main avenue (Kura no Machi Odori). The building is located at 4-3 Yorozu-cho, Tochigi City, just south of the Yamamoto Yuzo Furusato Memorial Museum.
The surrounding Kura no Machi district is easily walkable, with many cultural properties, shops, cafés, and museums within a short distance. Tochigi Station (JR Ryomo Line and Tobu Nikko Line) is approximately 15 minutes on foot from the area.
Nearby Attractions
Tochigi's Kura no Machi district offers a wealth of things to see and do within easy walking distance of the Daini Shoten Shop:
- Yamamoto Yuzo Furusato Memorial Museum — Immediately north of the Daini Shoten Shop, this museum is housed in a pair of late-Edo-period misegura and is dedicated to the celebrated Tochigi-born novelist Yamamoto Yuzo, author of "Robo no Ishi" (A Stone by the Wayside).
- Tochigi Kura no Machi Kankōkan — A tourist information center set in a Meiji-era misegura and attached warehouses, offering local souvenirs, dining, and visitor guides.
- Uzuma River Sightseeing Boat — A leisurely 20-minute cruise along the Uzuma River, passing beneath historic storehouse-lined banks while a boatman sings traditional river songs.
- Tsukada Historical Museum — A former timber merchant's estate along the Uzuma River, featuring eight storehouses and exhibits on Tochigi's commercial history.
- Tochigi Dashi Kaikan (Festival Float Hall) — A museum displaying three ornately decorated festival floats from the biennial Tochigi Autumn Festival, a tradition dating back to 1874.
- Yokoyama Kyodokan — A former hemp merchant's residence and garden featuring a rare "double-gabled" (ryo-sode kirizuma) architectural style, set along the Uzuma River.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Daiji Shoten Store
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- What is Daini Shoten Shop and why is it significant?
- Daini Shoten Shop is an early Meiji-period misegura (merchant storehouse-shop) in Tochigi City, originally used by a silk and cotton thread dealer known as Kamafuji. It was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property in 2000 for its well-preserved dozo construction and its contribution to the historic Kura no Machi streetscape.
- Can I go inside the Daini Shoten Shop?
- The building is privately owned and not open to the general public. However, you can appreciate its handsome exterior from the street as part of a walk along the Kura no Machi main avenue.
- What is a misegura?
- A misegura is a type of traditional Japanese building that combines the fireproof earthen-wall construction of a storehouse (kura) with a shop-front function. These structures became widespread in Kanto and Tohoku from the late Edo to Meiji periods as merchants sought to protect their goods from fire while maintaining a prominent street presence.
- How do I get to the Kura no Machi district in Tochigi City?
- From Tokyo, take the Tobu Nikko Line to Tochigi Station (about 75 minutes from Asakusa by limited express). Alternatively, take the JR Ryomo Line from Oyama Station. The Kura no Machi main avenue is about a 15-minute walk north from the station. By car, the area is approximately 10 minutes from the Tochigi Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway.
- What else can I see near Daini Shoten Shop?
- The surrounding area is rich in cultural properties, including the Yamamoto Yuzo Memorial Museum directly to the north, the Tochigi Kura no Machi Kankōkan tourist center, the Uzuma River boat cruise, the Tochigi Dashi Kaikan festival float museum, and numerous other registered misegura and historic merchant houses.
Basic Information
| Name | Daini Shoten Shop (大二商店店舗) |
|---|---|
| Reading | Daini Shōten Tempo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Registration Date | October 18, 2000 |
| Period of Construction | Early Meiji period (estimated 1868–1880s) |
| Structure | Dozo (earthen-wall) construction, two stories, tile roof, approx. 40 m² |
| Architectural Style | Kirizuma-zukuri (gable roof), hiraiiri (long-side entrance), with front lower eave |
| Original Use | Silk and cotton thread merchant shop (trade name: Kamafuji / 釜藤) |
| Address | 4-3 Yorozu-cho, Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture 328-0015 |
| Access | Approx. 15 minutes on foot from JR/Tobu Tochigi Station |
References
- 大二商店店舗 — 文化遺産オンライン
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/137648
- 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001878
- 蔵の街 — Wikipedia
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%94%B5%E3%81%AE%E8%A1%97
- 蔵の街並み — とちぎ旅ネット
- https://www.tochigiji.or.jp/spot/s10575
- 「蔵の街とちぎ」の誕生 — とちぎいにしえの回廊
- https://www.inishie.tochigi.jp/special-season-column.html
- 栃木市の文化財一覧 — 栃木市ホームページ
- https://www.city.tochigi.lg.jp/site/culture/1542.html
Last verified: 2026.04.02