Sankyo Soko Rice Warehouses, Yamagata

Meiji-era rice warehouses that guarded Shonai's rice for nearly 130 years. Behind the white and black walls runs an avenue of zelkovas over 150 years old.

Row of white-walled rice warehouses with tiled roofs under a blue sky in Sakata — Photo: 8-Forest, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sankyo warehouses and trees seen across the river with a footbridge in Sakata — Photo: くろふね, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The warehouses behind Sakata's rice port

Sankyo Soko is a set of rice storage warehouses in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture. They were built in 1893 (Meiji 26) by the Sakai family, the former lords of the Shonai domain. Sakata thrived as the port that shipped out rice from the Shonai region, and these warehouses keep that history alive.

Twelve white-walled warehouses stand in a row, built in dozo-zukuri style (thick walls of earth and plaster that resist fire and damp), and together they could hold 10,800 tonnes of rice. Nine of them were still in use as agricultural warehouses until 2022. In March 2021 the site was designated a national Historic Site, and it is now owned by Sakata City.

It is also known as a filming location for "Oshin", the NHK morning drama serial broadcast in 1983.

Clever natural design and the zelkova avenue

The warehouses were designed to keep rice in good condition. The roofs have a double structure so that damp and heat do not build up inside. The zelkova trees planted behind the warehouses have long shaded them from the strong summer sun.

This avenue of 35 zelkovas, all more than 150 years old, is Sakata's most popular photo spot. Its colours change with the seasons, from fresh green in spring and early summer to autumn leaves. It is also lit up after sunset.

Visiting and getting there

On 14 April 2025 the Sankyo Soko Information Center opened in Warehouse No. 12. Panels and materials explain the history of the rice trade and how the warehouses were built.

It is about 5 minutes by car from JR Sakata Station. You can also get there on the buses that run around Sakata.

Tips

The Shonai Rice History Museum that used to be inside the warehouses has been closed for the time being since 2024 while the building's safety is checked. The tourist shop Sakata Yume no Kura, which used to be here, moved to Iroha Kura Park in March 2025.
The zelkova avenue may be closed for safety in strong winds or typhoons.
As a rough guide, the fresh green is at its best in early May and the autumn leaves around late October.