A Cocoon Warehouse Turned Community Hall
The Kurara No. 3 Hall (Former Miyauchi Cocoon Market Warehouse) (蔵楽（旧宮内繭市場繭蔵）三号館) is a two-storey reinforced-concrete cocoon warehouse built in 1927 at Miyauchi, Nan'yo City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was registered with Halls No. 1 and No. 2 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 29, 2016. It now serves as the multipurpose hall of the Nan'yo City Kurara Community Plaza (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Nan'yo City).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as two storeys of reinforced concrete with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 581 square metres, renovated in 2003; registration number 06-0179, owned by Nan'yo City.
From Cocoon Store to Community Plaza
According to Nan'yo City, Kurara revives the old Miyauchi agricultural cooperative cocoon warehouses as a centre for the Miyauchi district's aim of a town rich in culture and history, used for meetings, lectures, concerts and exhibitions.
Three large cocoon warehouses stand on the site: the three-storey earthen No. 1 Hall of about 1922, the late-Taisho concrete No. 2 Hall and this hall, together recalling the silk industry that made the Okitama region prosper (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Hall No. 2 houses an Isabella Bird memorial corner (Nan'yo City).
Why It Was Registered
The Kurara No. 3 Hall was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a large warehouse that conveys the history of a region that thrived on sericulture.
What to Look For
The Kurara No. 3 Hall, at the north centre of the site, is the largest of the three, 38 metres long and 15 metres wide. It runs north to south under a gabled roof entered on the long side, with many windows on the east and queen-post roof trusses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Inside it has been converted into a multipurpose hall seating 400 (Nan'yo City). Its long walls lined with windows show the scale of a cocoon store.
Using and Visiting Kurara
According to Nan'yo City, the Kurara Community Plaza is open from 9:00 to 22:00 and closed from December 29 to January 3. Bookings are made through the Miyauchi District Community Centre (0238-47-3112). Hall No. 1 can be viewed only from outside.
The address is 1004-1 Miyauchi, Nan'yo City, with parking shared with the Miyauchi community centre (Nan'yo City).
Q&A
- When was the Kurara No. 3 Hall built?
- In 1927; it was renovated in 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was the building originally?
- A cocoon warehouse of the old Miyauchi agricultural cooperative (Nan'yo City).
- How big is the Kurara No. 3 Hall?
- 38 metres by 15 metres, the largest of the three warehouses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is it used today?
- As a multipurpose hall seating 400 (Nan'yo City).
- When was the Kurara No. 3 Hall registered?
- On November 29, 2016.
Basic Information
| Name | Kurara No. 3 Hall (Former Miyauchi Cocoon Market Warehouse) (蔵楽（旧宮内繭市場繭蔵）三号館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1003-4 Anadasan and others, Miyauchi, Nan'yo City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 581 square metres |
| Owner | Nan'yo City |
| Public Access | Community facility; closed at New Year |
References
- Kurara No. 3 Hall (Former Miyauchi Cocoon Market Warehouse) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011243
- Kurara No. 1 Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011241
- Kurara No. 2 Hall (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011242
- Nan'yo City Kurara Community Plaza (Nan'yo City)
- http://www.city.nanyo.yamagata.jp/siyoukorouse/111
Last verified: 2026.10.11