Shika Saru Kitsune Building Tour: A 20-minute Naramachi Story
A free, small-group staff tour linking the company's 1716 beginnings, a 130-year-old house, its craft shop, archive and Naramachi setting.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Shika Saru Kitsune Building Tour: A 20-minute Naramachi Story
This short tour introduces the Shika Saru Kitsune Building as more than a collection of tenants. Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten began in Nara in 1716 through the trade in Nara sarashi hemp cloth; the present complex brings that history into a district where the company's founding site, old merchant lanes and contemporary businesses meet. A staff member guides visitors through the main store, Salon, Toki-gura archive, Nuno-gura and building. The operator describes the route as about 20 minutes and free, with four places per session. It is a compact orientation before exploring the complex independently, and the latest event notice specifies Japanese-only guidance and advance sign-up.
See how the company's craft story fits the building
The official tour lists the Nakagawa Masashichi Main Store (formerly Yu Nakagawa), Salon Naramachi, Toki-gura, Nuno-gura and the building itself. The guide connects the company's hemp-trading origins with the 130-year-old Japanese house and its present-day uses. The company's founding year is 1716; the property opened as a gathering place in 2021. It is a way to understand the relationship between a modern retail and food complex and the older Naramachi context, rather than a broad city sightseeing tour.
Reserve a small, free session
The October 2026 operator notice lists a duration of about 20 minutes, no charge and a four-person maximum. The current monthly notice controls the dates and booking flow. The operator asks guests to apply at least 24 hours before the slot and warns that remaining capacity can prevent a booking. It may limit attendance to registered participants because of the small group. Check the current month calendar; do not assume an unlisted walk-in tour is available.
Meet at the correct desk and note the language
The current notice says the meeting point is the first-floor Nara Fudo Information Desk; gather by its register at the start time. The operator states that the tour is Japanese-only. It does not promise an English tour or translation materials for this session, so visitors who need another language should ask before reserving. The short duration makes it easy to pair with a separate visit to the archive, shops or a booked workshop, but those activities have their own hours and conditions.
Reach the building on foot
The address is 22 Ganriin-cho. The operator estimates seven minutes on foot from Kintetsu Nara Station and 15 minutes from JR Nara Station. There is no dedicated parking; use a nearby paid lot. Arrive at the first-floor desk rather than checking in at the second-floor workshop counter. Narrow lanes and thresholds are common in the old-town setting; ask the operator about the tour route if you need step-free access.
What to look for
A staff-led overview of the company's 1716 craft history and present complex
October 2026 listing: about 20 minutes, free, four people maximum
Japanese-only guidance; meeting point is the first-floor information desk
Photo notes
Ask the guide and other participants before photographing the tour. Follow any no-photography instructions inside the old house, archive and shops. Do not reuse the operator's tour imagery without permission.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 25 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten — building tour description
- Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten — October 2026 tour duration, fee, group size, language and meeting point
- Shika Saru Kitsune Building — address, access and current tenants
- Official Nara Travel Guide — parent-building listing, not a separate tour entry