An Earthen Storehouse 33 Meters Long
Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse (勇駒酒造本社東蔵, Isamigoma Shuzō Honsha Higashigura) is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse from the late Edo period, extended westward at the end of the Meiji era, in Masuda, Masuda-machi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002. It is the oldest and the largest of the brewery's four listed buildings.
The Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse stands behind the store, roughly in the middle of the long, narrow lot. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse for keeping sake. It runs about 33 meters from end to end and covers 234 square meters.
An Edo-Period Half and a Meiji Extension
The Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse was not built in one campaign. Judging from how the timbers are finished and how the parts are proportioned, the agency dates the eastern section to around the end of the Edo period (within 1830 to 1867) and the western section to an extension at the end of the Meiji era. The building grew westward over several decades.
It was registered as a model of design, with the agency pointing to its great length and the care that went into the whole structure. Its registration number is 05-0087.
Yokote City describes an old brewing storehouse on the site that it calls the Hōreki-gura, or Horeki Storehouse: built in the late Edo period, long in proportion to its width, and enlarged in major building campaigns that left several different types of roof framing inside. Its size and history point to the East Storehouse, but the two descriptions do not match in every detail; the agency records one extension, the city two.
Heavy Doors Outside, Posts and Tie Beams Inside
The Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse has a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof in sheet metal, with the ridge running east to west. The front is closed by thick earthen Kannon-biraki double doors, which the agency singles out as weighty.
According to Yokote City, the interior is undecorated. Posts and horizontal tie beams (nuki) lock together into a stiff frame, a plain treatment the city links to the building's use for brewing. While sake was made here, a mezzanine floor served the workers as a working platform; it has since been removed.
If you are allowed in, walk from east to west with your eyes on the roof structure. Where the framing changes shape, you are crossing from the Edo-period building into a later addition.
Visiting the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse
Because the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse stands behind the store, little of it can be seen from the street. The restaurant Kurawo rents out the Horeki Storehouse for private use, and the Masuda tourism association says visits to the former brewery require an advance reservation. Ask when booking whether the East Storehouse will be open to you.
It may be closed while booked for a private event. Check with the staff before taking photographs inside.
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Q&A
- When was the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the eastern section to around the end of the Edo period (within 1830 to 1867) and the western section to an extension at the end of the Meiji era.
- How big is the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse?
- About 33 meters long with a footprint of 234 square meters, the largest of the brewery's four listed buildings.
- Is the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse the same building as the Horeki Storehouse?
- Probably. Yokote City's Horeki Storehouse, a late Edo brewing storehouse enlarged in stages, matches the East Storehouse in size and history, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs does not use that name and records a different number of extensions.
- Can I see inside the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse?
- Visits to the former brewery are by advance reservation. The Horeki Storehouse is also rented out for private use, so confirm when booking whether you can go in.
- Why was the Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse registered?
- As a model of design: the agency cites its great length and the careful workmanship throughout.
Basic Information
| Name | Isamigoma Sake Brewery Head Office East Storehouse (勇駒酒造本社東蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 64 Nakamachi, Masuda, Masuda-machi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 05-0087 |
| Year Designated | Registered February 14, 2002 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, 1 storey, sheet-metal roof, about 33 meters long, building area 234 square meters |
| Owner | Haba Koji Limited Partnership (合資会社羽場こうじ店) |
| Public Access | Behind the store and hard to see from the street; visits by advance reservation (also rented for private use) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Isamigoma Shuzo Honsha Higashigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002599
- Yokote City: Former Isamigoma Sake Brewery (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokote.lg.jp/masuda/1001614/1004379.html
- Masuda Tourism Association: Open Facilities (in Japanese)
- https://masuda-matta.com/facility/
- Shunsai Miso Chaya Kurawo, official website (in Japanese)
- https://kurawo.net/
Last verified: 2026.10.02
