Yamagata's First Concrete Shop
The Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop (市島銃砲火薬店店舗) is a two-storey reinforced-concrete shop built in 1927 facing the street at Nanokamachi, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was registered with the storehouse behind it as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 20, 2001. It belongs to a merchant family that has dealt in gunpowder since the Edo period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as two storeys of reinforced concrete with a galvanised copper roof and a building area of 45 square metres; registration number 06-0040. Yamagata Prefecture lists the owner as a private individual.
A Gunpowder Merchant's Shop
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the ground floor is the shop and the upper floor a tatami room. Behind it stands the family's two-storey earthen storehouse of 1910 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Yamagata Prefecture).
Yamagata Prefecture describes it as the first two-storey reinforced-concrete shop in Yamagata, small but solid in form.
Why It Was Registered
The Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it was Yamagata's first reinforced-concrete shop building, small yet weighty in form.
What to Look For
The walls of the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop are finished in washed mortar with joint lines, pilasters and capitals, imitating stone (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Though the building covers only 45 square metres, its stone-like front gives it a heavy presence on the Nanokamachi street (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Yamagata Prefecture).
Visiting
According to Yamagata Prefecture, the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop is not open to the public. It is at 5-10-53 Nanokamachi, Yamagata City, and the exterior can be seen from the street. See the group page Ichijima Gun Shop and Residence for both registered structures.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop built?
- In 1927 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop notable?
- It was the first reinforced-concrete shop building in Yamagata (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Yamagata Prefecture).
- What does the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop look like?
- Washed-mortar walls with joint lines, pilasters and capitals imitating stone (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop?
- It is not open to the public (Yamagata Prefecture); the exterior can be seen from the street.
- When was the Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop registered?
- On November 20, 2001.
Basic Information
| Name | Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop (市島銃砲火薬店店舗) |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-10-53 Nanokamachi, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2001/11/20 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys, galvanised copper roof, building area 45 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open (exterior from the street) |
References
- Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002504
- Ichijima Family Residence Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002505
- Ichijima Gun and Gunpowder Shop (Treasures of Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/cgi-bin/yamagata-takara/?m=detail&id=1728
Last verified: 2026.10.11
