What Is the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse?
The Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse (旧丸中横仲商店粉蔵, Kyū-Marunaka Yokonaka Shōten Konagura) is a single-storey timber storehouse in the Aramachi district of Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, built in the early Showa era (1926 to 1945 in the Agency's dating) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015.
It is the youngest of the five buildings and the only one that is not an earthen-walled storehouse. The business traded in wheat among other goods, and the name, konagura or flour store, suggests what it held, although no published record spells out its use.
It stands on the northern edge of the property, west of centre, its ridge running east to west. The Edo Storehouse is its neighbour to the east, and the two make up the northern of the site's three rows.
It measures 9.5 metres by 5.7 metres, with a building area of 55 square metres, under a sheet-metal roof. Its registration number is 06-0157.
Why the Flour Storehouse Was Registered
It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Flour Storehouse is a timber warehouse added in the Showa era to a lot already lined with earthen storehouses, and it pairs with the late Edo storehouse in the northern row.
The detail the Agency picks out is the iron bracket, or Mochiokuri, that supports the small canopy over the west window. It carries a geometric pattern, a touch of industrial-age ornament on an otherwise plain working building.
At least half a century separates it from the Edo Storehouse next door. Two buildings of the same length, one earthen-walled and one timber, standing side by side are a quiet record of how long the business kept going.
What to Look For: An Iron Bracket and Louvred Gables
Start with the west window. A small canopy shelters it, carried from below by the iron bracket with its geometric design that the Agency singles out as the building's signature feature.
The entrance is in the east gable end. High up in both gables, east and west, are louvred vents, rows of angled slats that let air through while keeping rain out.
Inside, the roof is framed in the traditional Wagoya manner, with diagonal corner braces tying beams and wall plates together to resist racking. The interior is closed, however, so this framing cannot be seen.
Visiting the Flour Storehouse
The Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse is privately owned, and neither the interior nor the grounds are open. It can only be seen from outside the property.
The bracketed window is on the west wall and the doorway on the east gable. Because the building stands on the northern edge of the lot, parts of it may be visible from the north depending on the surrounding buildings; check the sight lines 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 Flour Storehouse stand on the property?
- It stands on the northern edge of the lot, west of centre, with its ridge running east to west. The Edo Storehouse is next to it on the east, and its entrance is in the east gable end.
- What kind of building is the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey timber storehouse from the early Showa era, 9.5 metres by 5.7 metres with a building area of 55 square metres and a sheet-metal roof. It is the only one of the five Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten storehouses that is not earthen-walled.
- When was the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015, under registration number 06-0157, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
- What should I look for on the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse?
- The iron bracket with a geometric design that supports the canopy over the west window, and the louvred vents high in the east and west gables.
- Can you go inside the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse?
- No. It is privately owned, and neither the interior nor the grounds are open to the public. Visitors can only view the exterior from outside the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse (旧丸中横仲商店粉蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 5.7 metres; building area 55 square metres (single-storey timber building) |
| 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 Flour Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010553
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/213217
- Yamagata Prefecture heritage database: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Flour Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/cgi-bin/yamagata-takara/?m=detail&id=1870
- 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
