The Rearing House That Kept Its Partitions
The Former Sericultural Experiment Station Shinjo Branch (Silkworm Rearing House No. 4) is a two-storey timber building of 1937 in Tokamachi, Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 March 2013.
It stands directly north of the first rearing house. The roof is gabled sheet metal with a ventilation tower on the ridge, and the footprint is 306 square metres. Part of the building has a basement, reached by stairs set within the lean-to at the east end.
The upper floor keeps its lime plaster, but the ground floor was rendered in mortar during a later refit. Where the other rearing houses carry lapped boarding at that level, this one presents a flat surface, so the record of its alterations is written on the outside.
This was a heated house, able to rear silkworms when the air outside was cold. Rearing house two, built in the same year, was heated as well, and the two work as a pair within the set of four.
Why It Was Registered
The registration number is 06-0138, granted under the first criterion, covering structures contributing to the historic character of the landscape.
The national database singles out two things here: parts of the ground floor keep their original partitions and flooring, and the upper floor retains much of its original state. In the other rearing houses the ground floor became a garage or a workshop and the evidence went with it, so this is the building in which the way a rearing room was divided up can still be checked.
A rendered exterior over a partly original interior says something about how registration works in Japan. It is a light form of protection based on notification rather than consent, which lets alteration for continued use and the retention of what matters coexist in a single building.
Seismic strengthening was carried out in August 2019 and the building reopened in April 2020 as a creative exchange facility, the second of the four rearing houses to be strengthened.
What to Look For
Start with the ground floor wall. Flat mortar, no shadow lines from lapped boards. Set it beside rearing house one immediately to the south and you see how much of a building's character sits in the finish of its lowest three metres.
The lean-to at the east end is worth a look. Under its low roof are the stairs to the underground mulberry store. In rearing house one the same stairs sit against the end wall; here they are tucked inside the lean-to. The equipment is identical, the way it is housed is not.
The plaster above retains its original character, and the window openings keep their original spacing, so from outside you can check that the rhythm of the upper floor runs evenly from end to end.
If you go in, follow the posts and beams. A frame built to keep the floor as clear as possible for rearing racks still governs how the shops inside arrange themselves.
Visiting This Building
Rearing House No. 4 now serves as a creative exchange facility housing a cafe restaurant, an acupuncture and yoga studio, and a photographic gallery. You can go inside during their opening hours, though not to wander the building at will; a visit means visiting one of the tenants.
The cafe opens 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with evenings by reservation and occasional closures. The photographic gallery opens 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and closes on Mondays. The studio works by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with irregular closing days.
The exterior is freely visible from the grounds at no charge. Outdoor photography is unrestricted; for interiors, ask the business concerned.
For the exterior, work from the south or the east. The eastern view brings the lean-to and the ventilation tower into one frame, which is this building in a single picture.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
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Q&A
- Can visitors go inside Rearing House No. 4 at the Former Sericultural Experiment Station Shinjo Branch?
- Yes, during the opening hours of the cafe, studio and gallery that occupy it, though not to explore the building freely. A visit means visiting one of the tenants.
- What are the opening hours of the businesses inside?
- The cafe opens 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with evenings by reservation, the photographic gallery 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. except Mondays, and the acupuncture and yoga studio by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- What original fabric survives in Rearing House No. 4?
- Parts of the ground floor keep their original partitions and flooring, and the upper floor retains much of its original state. Elsewhere on the site the ground floors were converted, so this is where the layout of a rearing room can still be read.
- Why does the ground floor look different from the other rearing houses?
- Its ground floor wall was rendered in mortar during a later refit, where the others keep lapped boarding. The lime plaster of the upper floor is original here as elsewhere.
- When was it built and altered?
- Built in 1937 and altered in 1983. Seismic strengthening followed in August 2019, and the building reopened as a creative exchange facility in April 2020.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Sericultural Experiment Station Shinjo Branch (Silkworm Rearing House No. 4) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6000-1 Toumeki, Tokamachi, Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 29 March 2013 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber with partial basement, sheet metal roof, footprint 306 square metres |
| Owner | Shinjo City |
| Public Access | Exterior freely viewable; interior accessible during the opening hours of the businesses inside |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Rearing House No. 4
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009418
- Shinjo City: On the Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.shinjo.yamagata.jp/k001/020/010/030/030/9635.html
- Shinjo City: Creative Exchange Facility
- https://www.city.shinjo.yamagata.jp/k001/020/010/030/010/20221220100340.html
- Michi-no-Eki Shinjo Ecology Garden Gensan-no-Mori: Facility Guide
- https://michinoeki-eg.jp/facility/
Last verified: 2026.09.14
