What Is the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse?
The Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse (旧丸中横仲商店土蔵, Kyū-Marunaka Yokonaka Shōten Dozō) is a two-storey earthen storehouse in the Aramachi district of Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, built in 1874 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015.
Unlike the Sugar and Flour storehouses, which are named after what they held, this one is registered simply as dozo, an earthen storehouse. No published source records what was kept inside.
It stands west of centre on the property, its ridge running east to west, with the Pawn Storehouse directly to its east. Together the pair form the middle of the site's three rows. The Sugar Storehouse, built the same year, lies to the south.
The building uses the Dozo-zukuri method of thick clay walls over a timber frame. Its entrance is on a long side, the Hirairi arrangement, and its sheet-metal roof is of the okiyane type, set as a separate structure over the sealed body. The building area is 46 square metres, and the registration number is 06-0155.
Why the Storehouse Was Registered
It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Council for Cultural Affairs report singled out this storehouse and the Pawn Storehouse for the way black plaster is used at key points on otherwise white Shikkui walls, a decorative finish on buildings meant for storage.
The Agency's own description also praises the plasterwork of the south wall openings as evidence of highly skilled craftsmen.
What to Look For: A Black Band and Six Sealed Openings
The walls are white lime plaster, but the entire north wall is finished in black. So is the hachimaki, the thick band of plaster that wraps around the top of the walls just below the eaves, on all four sides. A black band cinching the top of a white box gives the building a crisp outline even from a distance.
The south wall has six openings, three on each floor. All are finished in kakego-nuri, in which the edges of each heavy Tsuchido shutter and its frame are built up in stepped layers of plaster so they lock together and seal out fire and smoke. Six sets on one wall is a lot of careful work, and it is this wall that the Agency points to when it praises the plasterers.
The Pawn Storehouse next door shares the same format: two storeys, a long-side entrance and an okiyane roof. The two were clearly meant to stand as a matched pair.
Visiting the Storehouse
The Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse is privately owned, and neither the interior nor the grounds are open. It can only be seen from outside the property.
The six-opening south wall faces inward toward the Sugar Storehouse, and the black north wall faces the row of the Flour and Edo storehouses, so which faces you can see from outside depends on the surrounding buildings; check on site. The black band under the eaves runs all the way around and is the easiest feature to spot from any direction.
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 Storehouse stand on the property?
- It stands west of centre with its ridge running east to west, paired with the Pawn Storehouse to its east in the middle row. The Sugar Storehouse, also built in 1874, lies to the south.
- What kind of building is the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse built in 1874, entered from a long side and covered by a separate okiyane roof clad in sheet metal. It has a building area of 46 square metres and stands beside the Pawn Storehouse.
- When was the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 4 August 2015, under registration number 06-0155, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
- What is special about the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse?
- The contrast of white walls with a black north wall and a black plaster band around the top, and the six openings on the south wall finished in stepped kakego-nuri plaster.
- Can you go inside the Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten 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 Storehouse (旧丸中横仲商店土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2460 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 | 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 Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010551
- Yamagata Prefecture heritage database: Former Marunaka Yokonaka Shoten Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/cgi-bin/yamagata-takara/?m=detail&id=1868
- 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
