[Yamagata] A historic agricultural warehouse complex that is still in use today, “Sankyo Soko”

Agricultural warehouse from the Meiji period

Located in Sakata city in the northern part of Yamagata prefecture, Sankyo Souko is a symbol of the rice-growing region of Shonai. Built in 1893 (Meiji 26), it was used to store rice and is still in use today as an agricultural warehouse

Photo by f_a_r_e_w_e_l_l – SANKYO SOUKO 3(2008) / Size-adapted.

The 12 warehouses are all white-walled and built with earthen walls, giving off a sense of history while also evoking the nostalgic image of what Japan should have been like in the past. The avenue, lined with 36 zelkova trees, each over 150 years old, creates a stunning landscape, but it was actually built to protect the rice from moisture. The roof has a double-layered structure that provides insulation, but what is surprising is the two-stage system that combines it with the zelkova trees to maintain a low temperature. This structure could be said to be the crystallization of the wisdom of people from long ago

It is a facility that conveys the history of Sakata City, which was a bustling rice shipping port, and is also used as one of the city's leading tourist attractions. It was also once used as a filming location for the NHK morning drama series "Oshin." The local tourist association distributes a filming location map, so you can explore the filming locations while looking at the map and enjoy the world of Oshin

The white-walled storehouses, a symbol of Sakata City, and the magnificent rows of zelkova trees are beautiful and attract many visitors. The scenery has been praised so much that it was selected by Yamagata Prefecture as one of the "33 Recommended Viewpoints in the Yamagata Landscape Story." The facility's premises are home to the Sakata City Tourist and Product Center "Sakata Yume no Kura," which displays and sells local specialties, and the Shonai Rice History Museum, where visitors can see materials on the history of Shonai agriculture and rice cultivation, as well as the tools used in the past. The area is bustling with travelers and tourists

To access Sankyo Warehouse by train, take the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo to Niigata Station. From there, take the Inaho limited express train bound for Akita and get off at JR Sakata Station. It is a 5-minute drive from Sakata Station. There is also a parking lot that can accommodate up to 27 cars, so you can also visit by car. If you are driving, it is about a 15-minute drive from Sakata IC on the Nihonkai Tohoku Expressway

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