A Long Workshop Where Shrunken Cloth Is Set Right
The Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building (羽前絹練株式会社第二仕上棟, Uzen Kenren Kabushiki-gaisha Daini Shiagetō) is a single-story timber workshop built in the late Taishō period and extended in the mid-Shōwa period, standing south of the First Finishing Building at the Uzen Kenren works in Shinkaicho, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 3, 2024.
After rinsing, spinning and drying in the First Finishing Building, the cloth has shrunk, and setting it right is the job of the Second Finishing Building. The national record gives a tile and sheet-metal roof and a building area of 368 square meters. It is registration number 06-0226.
Why the Second Finishing Building Was Registered
The Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building was registered under the criterion for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its great length shapes the scene at the center of the works.
It is a long single-story building running east to west under a gabled tile roof, with horizontal board walls and a vent roof at the middle of the ridge for air and light. Inside, winding machines stand on an earth floor beneath an exposed king-post truss.
What to Look For
The long gabled roof with its central vent roof defines the building. Horizontal boarding stresses its length, so it reads as a band running across the middle of the works.
Where the Scouring Building uses a queen-post truss to cover a wide floor around its tanks, the Second Finishing Building lines up winding machines under a king-post truss. The Agency's descriptions show the roof framing itself changing from one process to the next.
Visiting the Second Finishing Building
Uzen Kenren is a working factory, and no public tour program has been confirmed. Stay outside the grounds and view what you can from the road. Directions are on the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. page.
It stands in the middle of the works, so it is probably hard to see as a whole from the road.
Q&A
- What happens in the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building?
- Cloth that has shrunk in drying is set right to its proper dimensions.
- When was the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building built and registered?
- It was built in the late Taishō period, extended in the mid-Shōwa period, and registered on December 3, 2024, under registration number 06-0226.
- What does the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building look like?
- A long single-story building running east to west, with a gabled tile roof, horizontal board walls and a central vent roof.
- What is inside the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building?
- Winding machines on an earth floor beneath an exposed king-post truss.
- Can I visit the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building?
- No public tours have been confirmed, and it is probably hard to see as a whole from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building (羽前絹練株式会社第二仕上棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21-5 Shinkaicho and other lots, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2024 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-story timber, tile and sheet-metal roof, building area 368 m² |
| Owner | Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (working factory; exterior from the road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Second Finishing Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015136
- Japan Heritage Portal (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. (Japanese)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/2980/
Last verified: 2026.10.06
