Shinshu Suzaka, Nagano

The city of Suzaka sits next to Nagano City in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture.

In this small town that prospered during the Meiji era from the silk industry, there are numerous storehouses, or "kura," still standing from that time and scattered throughout the city.
Shirafuji stands close to the center of town, and it is said that the Urano family, who held an important position within the Suzaka feudal domain, built it in the late Edo/early Meiji period.
It conveys the appearance of a samurai residence from that era, making it a valuable structure.
Late in the Meiji era, a doctor, Dr. Maruta took over the building and added a Western-style annex where he saw patients. The remaining estate is a truly unique space with the main Japanese-style house and Western-style building displaying the sophistication of Meiji culture on the same site.