Sankyo-Soko

Sankyo Soko (Sankyo Warehouses) is a sightseeing spot in Sakata, reached by taking a 10-minute bus ride from JR Sakata Station and getting off at “Sankyo Soko-mae.” Built in 1893 (Meiji 26) by the former feudal lord Sakai family, Sankyo Soko is a group of rice warehouses consisting of 12 buildings that could store about 180,000 bales of rice. At the time, Sakata was known as a rice shipping port, and the warehouses stored vast amounts of rice. Behind the white plaster-walled storehouses and black-board fences, a zelkova tree-lined avenue was arranged, providing a beautiful landscape while also protecting the warehouses and rice from wind and direct sunlight. The scene of sunlight filtering through the trees onto the warehouses is very picturesque, making it a popular photo spot in Sakata. The interiors feature double roofs and include skylights and ventilation windows for climate control—showing many ingenious measures for storing rice in good condition. Even today, 9 of the 12 buildings are still used as rice warehouses. The remaining 3 have been renovated into facilities such as the “Sakata City Tourist Products Center / Sakata Yume no Club” and the “Shonai Rice History Museum,” where visitors can learn local history and choose souvenirs from many products.