What Is the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse?
The Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse (旧丸中横仲商店江戸蔵, Kyū-Marunaka Yokonaka Shōten Edogura) is a two-storey earthen storehouse in the Aramachi district of Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, built in the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015.
It is the oldest of the five storehouses and the only one that dates from before the Meiji era. No source explains the name Edo Storehouse, but it fits the building's age.
It stands toward the north of the property, north of the Pawn Storehouse and east of the Flour Storehouse. With the Flour Storehouse beside it, it forms the northern of the site's three rows.
It is built in the Dozo-zukuri earthen-wall manner, two storeys high, with its entrance in a gable end, the Tsumairi arrangement, and a sheet-metal roof. It measures 9.5 metres by 4.8 metres, with a building area of 46 square metres. Its registration number is 06-0158.
Why the Edo Storehouse Was Registered
It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the tall windows on the east wall and the Tsuchido shutters hung in them, finished in kakego-nuri, as evidence of highly skilled plasterers. The Council for Cultural Affairs report cites the same work when describing the group as a whole.
Predating the three Meiji storehouses and the Showa flour store, it shows that the business was already keeping goods on this lot at the end of the Edo period. In a group that grew building by building, it is the starting point.
What to Look For: Tall Windows and Stepped Plaster Shutters
The walls are white Shikkui lime plaster, and the side to study is the east face. A row of tall windows runs along it, each closed by a heavy earthen shutter. Kakego-nuri builds up the edges of shutter and frame in stepped layers of plaster, so that the steps lock together when the shutter closes and keep fire and smoke out. Every step means another coat and another wait for it to dry.
The Agency describes these windows as similar to those of the Pawn Storehouse to the south. Since the Pawn Storehouse was built in 1875, the pattern set by this late Edo building seems to have been carried into the next generation of storehouses on the site. Comparing the two east walls makes the connection easy to see.
The roof structure is unusual too. Curved, arch-shaped beams carry the ridge beam, with the rafters, or Taruki, laid over them, quite different from the straight beams of a standard Japanese roof frame. The interior is closed, however, so this cannot be seen.
Visiting the Edo Storehouse
The Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse is privately owned, and neither the interior nor the grounds are open. It can only be seen from outside the property.
The window wall faces east. The prefectural tourism guide recommends viewing the storehouse group from the east side, and where the view is clear you can take in this wall together with the east face of the Pawn Storehouse. Sight lines depend on the surrounding buildings, so check on site.
There is no official guidance on photography. Directions and general viewing conditions are on the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten page.
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Q&A
- Where does the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse stand on the property?
- It stands toward the north of the lot, north of the Pawn Storehouse and east of the Flour Storehouse, and forms the northern row together with the Flour Storehouse.
- What kind of building is the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse from the late Edo period, entered from a gable end, measuring 9.5 metres by 4.8 metres with a building area of 46 square metres. It is the oldest of the five Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten storehouses.
- When was the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015, under registration number 06-0158, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
- What should I look for on the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse?
- The tall windows on the east wall and their heavy shutters finished in stepped kakego-nuri plaster, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs cites as highly skilled work.
- Can you go inside the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned, and neither the interior nor the grounds are open to the public, so its arched roof beams cannot be seen. Visitors can only view the exterior from outside the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse (旧丸中横仲商店江戸蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2461 Aramachi and other lots, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2015/8/4 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 9.5 metres by 4.8 metres; building area 46 square metres (2-storey earthen storehouse) |
| Owner | Private (individual owner) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (interior and grounds closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010554
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/235908
- Yamagata Prefecture heritage database: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Edo Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/cgi-bin/yamagata-takara/?m=detail&id=1871
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs report on registrations (13 March 2015, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/bunkashingi_toshin_150313.pdf
- Yamagata Tourism Association: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse Group (Japanese)
- https://yamagatakanko.com/attractions/detail_11292.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
