"Masuda-cho, Yokote City" is a preservation area lined with unique merchants with built-in houses [Akita Prefecture]

What is distinctive about Masuda's townscape is that, although it is known as the "town of storehouses," a stroll through the townscape reveals that there is not a single storehouse to be found. The streets are lined with merchant houses from the Edo period to the early Showa period. It is a calm townscape that makes you feel like you have traveled back in time, but while storehouses are generally found behind or alongside stores facing the main street, Masuda town appears to have no storehouses. It is unthinkable that there would be no storehouses in Masuda town, which was once so prosperous. So why are there so few storehouses?

---

Masuda's storehouse has an exterior building to protect it from snow

The answer was the wisdom that comes from living in a region with heavy snowfall

The storehouse was completely covered by a structure called a "saya" (sheath), which was built to protect the storehouse from the weight of snow

This unique structure is called "Uchiura" and is commonly seen in the Tohoku region, especially in areas with heavy snowfall

The "kura" (storehouse) was built adjacent to the long, narrow main house, and is used as a storage facility for assets and important books (document storehouse), and also as a zashiki-gura (story storehouse) with the interior used as a living space such as a tatami room. While document storehouses have been a common use since the Edo period, it is thought that they only became zashiki-gura after the Meiji period

On the other hand, there are also "outer storehouses" built separately from the main house to be used as breweries for sake, miso, etc., or as storage sheds. Parts of these storehouses are covered with sheaths, so their existence cannot be detected from the outside

Masuda Town, lined with merchant houses with storehouses, is known as a "town of storehouses," but has also attracted attention as a "townscape without storehouses," and has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government

---

Masuda developed as a distribution center in the Yokote Basin

Masuda Town in Yokote City is located in the southeastern part of the Yokote Basin, at the confluence of the Naruse River and the Minase River, tributaries of the Omono River that flows from Akita City into the Sea of ​​Japan. It is currently part of Yokote City, but was an independent municipality until the great mergers of the Heisei era

Masuda faces two large rivers that merge with the Omono River, which was responsible for the distribution of goods in the Yokote Basin, and has long flourished as a distribution hub for the southern part of the Yokote Basin

---

The Akita Domain's official market began in the Edo period

Masuda first appeared in history during the Ashikaga period (Nanboku-cho period) when the Onodera clan, a powerful clan in Dewa Province (Akita and Yamagata), built a castle there, and during the Edo period it became the territory of the Akita Domain (Kubota Domain)

Masuda Castle was abandoned during the Edo period as part of the shogunate's one-castle-per-domain policy. Although the castle town was lost as a result of the castle's closure, it continued to function as a distribution hub and continued to develop further

In 1643, a morning market officially recognized by the domain began. It is easy to imagine that the market was filled with not only agricultural products from the surrounding area, but also goods from Kubota (Akita City) that were transported by water on the Omono River. At first, the morning market started in one location, but gradually grew into a larger market that was held in several locations

---

During the Meiji period, the volume of transactions was so great that a bank was established in the town

Even in the Meiji era, in 1876 (Meiji 9), regular markets began to be held in Nakamachi (Masuda-cho Masuda Nakamachi) and Nanukamachi (Masuda-cho Masuda Nanukamachi), which had been commercial centers since the feudal era

The amount of trade in rice, tobacco leaves, raw silk, and other products increased, and a bank (Masuda Bank, later Hokuto Bank) was established by local merchants

In 1915 (Taisho 4), a large vein of ore was discovered at Yoshino Mine, a copper and iron mine that had been in business since the mid-Edo period. This led to an influx of around 10,000 mining-related people into Masuda Town, causing the town to expand significantly

Masuda Town's unique townscape with its outer and inner storehouses was formed during this period

The Taira Power Station (Tohoku Energy Taira Power Station), which is still in operation today in Higashinaruse Village, adjacent to Masuda Town, was built in 1918 (Taisho 7) for the Yoshino Mine.It is a large power station that is still in operation today, and it is hard to believe that it was built for a single mine

---

The opening of the Ou Main Line led to a shift from water transport to land transport

Until the Edo period, the main form of distribution in Masuda Town was by boat, but land transport using routes such as the Ushu Kaido was also common

However, the opening of the Ou Main Line in 1905 (Meiji 38) marked a major turning point. The opening of the railway meant the end of waterway transport, and the town center rapidly shifted from the wharf to the train station

As the Showa era began, agricultural production decreased due to cold weather damage and poor harvests, and the Great Depression that began around 1929 (Showa 4) made things even worse

The Great Depression caused a major drop in the price of raw silk, which was Masuda's main industry, and the town was further impoverished by the mining recession after World War I (1914-1918) and a major reduction in production due to mining pollution from the Yoshino Mine. As a result, the town ended its role as an economic center, while retaining its traditional streetscape

---

Preservation efforts bring back the old townscape

Although Masuda Town still retains its old townscape, many houses have been demolished or renovated in modern styles as the town has declined

As a result, a local preservation society was formed, and especially after the area was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, restoration work on the renovated buildings began, and efforts to restore the townscape to its former glory are still ongoing

Additionally, efforts have been actively made to attract new businesses to stores that have become vacant due to business closures, and as of 2019, there are 59 stores in the area, with 45 still in operation and only one completely vacant store ("List of Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings" and "Efforts to Preserve and Utilize Each District," as of August 2, 2021, Agency for Cultural Affairs)

As of April 2023, the interiors of 19 of Masuda Town's historic buildings are open to the public. Here we will introduce some of the most representative buildings

Former Yukoma Sake Brewery (Shunsai Miso Chaya Kurawo / Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)

This sake brewery was founded in the mid-Edo period (1754) and sadly closed down in 2003 (Heisei 15). After it closed down, it operated as a tourist product center for a while, but now it is home to the restaurant "Shunsai Miso Chaya Kurawo" and a souvenir shop run by Haba Kojiten, which was founded in 1918 (Taisho 7)

The store building is unusual in that it features a striking sign made with trowel paint that is integrated into the store entrance and was built in the Taisho era. The storehouse in the back (the main storehouse east storehouse) was built at the end of the Edo period and added in the early Meiji period, and was used as an outer storehouse for brewing sake. The storehouse building has a double structure covered with sheaths

Shunsai Miso Chaya Kurawo ＜Information＞

• Facility name: Shunsai Miso Chaya Kurawo
• Address: 64 Nakamachi, Masuda, Masuda-cho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0182-45-3710
• Business hours: 10:00-17:00 (Lunch 11:30-15:00)
• Closed: Wednesdays and Thursdays
• URL: Shunsai Miso Chaya Kurawo

Google Map

---

Former Ishihira Hardware Store (Tourist and Product Center "Kuranoeki")

The Sekihira family ran a hardware store during the Meiji and Taisho periods. The building was constructed between the Meiji and Taisho periods, and is a valuable example of a merchant's house with a narrow frontage and a long, narrow, rectangular shape that has remained intact. The storehouse was used to store documents. It is also one of the few buildings whose second floor is open to the public

Currently, Yokote City has acquired the buildings from the Ishihira family and they are used as a tourist and souvenir center called "Kuranoeki," a townscape information center and souvenir shop

Tourist and Product Center "Kuranoeki" <Information>

• Facility name: Tourist and local products center "Kuranoeki"
• Address: 103 Nakamachi, Masudacho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0182-45-5541 (Masuda Town Tourism Association)
• Business hours: 9:00-17:00
• Closed: December 29th to January 3rd

Google Map

---

Former Koizumi Gohei House (Sato Yosuke Shoten Lacquerware Museum/Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)

The Sato Yosuke Shoten Lacquer Museum is the former home of the Koizumi Gohei family, which was acquired by Sato Yosuke Shoten, a long-established Inaniwa udon shop, and repurposed as a museum. It is currently managed and operated by the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum as the base facility for the Manga Original Art Archive Center, a national project run by the Agency for Cultural Affairs that serves as a consultation point for the preservation of manga original art

The former Koizumi family was a major landowner in Masuda, dealing in lumber, miso, soy sauce, etc. Gohei, the fifth head of the Koizumi family, served as the first president of Masuda Bank (Hokuto Bank), which was established in 1895 (Meiji 28)

The building was constructed in 1921 (Taisho 10) and is very luxurious, as befits a large landowner

Sato Yosuke Shoten Lacquerware Museum <Information>

• Facility name: Sato Yosuke Shoten Lacquerware Museum
• Address: 5 Masuda Honmachi, Masudacho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Opening hours:
• April to October: 10:00 to 17:00
• November to March: 10:00 to 16:00
• Phone number: 0182-23-6915
• Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
• Free tour

Google Map

---

Sato Mataroku family (nationally designated important cultural property)

The Sato Mataroku family is a prestigious family that has existed since the Edo period, and was one of the founders of Masuda Bank

When viewed from the front, the main house appears to be a three-story store and residence, but in fact the visible outer part is a covered building (sheath), and inside it is the main house (kura-style building) built in the style of a storehouse

At the end of the long main house is a document storehouse (kuraku), which continues to the main house, and the entire building is a storehouse, yet it is completely indistinguishable from the outside - making it the ultimate kuraku-zukuri building. The building was constructed in the early Meiji period and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan

Sato Mataroku family＜Information＞

• Facility name: Sato Matarokuya
• Address: 63 Masuda-nakamachi, Masuda-cho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0182-45-5541 (Masuda Town Tourism Association)

Google Map

---

In addition to the above, Masuda Town also has other internal organs on display

1. Former Ishida Rikichi family (city-designated cultural property)
2. Takahashi Tea Shop (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)
3. Sato Sanjuro House (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)
4. Ishinao Shoten (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)
5. Tanifuji family (city-designated cultural property)
6. Sasahara family
7. Yamayoshi Fertilizer Store (city-designated cultural property)
8. Yamanaka Yoshisuke Shoten (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)
9. Sato Konbu Shop
10. Sato Tasaburo House (city-designated cultural property)
11. Masukawa Shoten (formerly Eisuke Shoten, a nationally registered tangible cultural property)
12. Former Shutokudo Murata Pharmacy (City-designated Cultural Property)
13. Kobunkan Tokairin Bookstore (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)
14. Town Station Fukuzo (former Sato Yogobei family home)
15. Hinomaru Brewing Co., Ltd. (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)

There are a total of 19 houses

---

Request from Yokote City regarding tours of traditional houses

Unlike tourist attractions in other areas, the houses open to the public are still inhabited or operated as shops by their owners

We have opened the property to the public with the hope that many people will be able to see the cultural heritage that remains in the Masuda area, so please understand the wishes of the owners before visiting

Masuda Town Streets <Information>

• Phone number: 0182-45-5541 (Masuda Town Tourism Association)
• access:
• Train: Take a bus bound for Masuda from Yokote Station or Jumonji Station on the JR Ou Main Line and get off at Masuda Kurano Station or Yotsuya Tsukado bus stop, or take a taxi from Jumonji Station for about 10 minutes
• By car: Take the Akita Expressway via Yokote IC, then take the Yuzawa Yokote Road to Jumonji IC, then take National Route 13 and Route 342 towards Masuda for about 10 minutes

Google Map

---