The House on the Old Kakunodate Road
The Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House (鈴木酒造店事務所兼主屋, Suzuki Shuzōten Jimusho-ken-omoya) in Nagano, Daisen City, Akita Prefecture, is the front building of a working sake brewery; built in the middle Meiji period (1883 to 1897), it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 3 April 2020. It is a timber building, single-storey with a partial upper floor, roofed in sheet iron and covering 305 square metres. It was renovated around 1935 and again around 1957.
It stands on the south side of the old Kakunodate road, the route between Omagari and Kakunodate, with its gable end turned to the street in the Tsumairi manner. As the name says, it combined the brewery office and the family's living quarters under one roof. The rest of the compound grows out of it: the Kaminozashiki reception room joins its northeast corner, the document storehouse its southeast side and the front storehouse its south end.
Why It Was Registered
The Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. It is the face of Suzuki Sake Brewery on the street, and with the storehouses lined up behind it, it presents the brewery to passers-by the way it has for well over a century.
The plan is easy to read. A broad earth-floored passage, the tōri-doma, runs back from the street along the west side, and the rooms line up to the east.
Along that passage, glazed doors open up a long stretch of wall. In a district of short winter days and heavy snow, they pull daylight deep into the house, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles them out as a response to life in snow country.
Four Tiers of Beams
Start with the front gable of the Suzuki Sake Brewery main house. Four tiers of beams are stacked across it, structural timber put on show, so that horizontal lines run one above another inside the triangle of the roof. It reads clearly from the road.
Then look at the passage side and its run of glass doors. The house is Meiji at its core, with renovations around 1935 and 1957, and it makes more sense as a building altered over time than as one frozen at a single date.
The reception room at the northeast corner was built for guests, apart from the family's rooms. Seen together, the house and that room show how a merchant family kept daily business and hospitality in separate spaces.
Visiting
The Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House is part of a working brewery, and its interior is not open for casual visits. The front gable and exterior can be seen from the old Kakunodate road; from the far side of the street, the stacked beams and the roofline fit into a single view.
The inside of the compound is shown on Suzuki Sake Brewery's paid, reservation-only tour. The official description does not say which parts of the main house are included, so ask when booking if you want to see it, and check with the guide about photography. Tour times, fees and directions from the station are on the Suzuki Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Akita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House
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Q&A
- When was the Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House built?
- It dates from the middle Meiji period (1883 to 1897) and was renovated around 1935 and around 1957. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 3 April 2020.
- Can I go inside the Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House?
- Not on your own. The compound's interior is shown on the brewery's paid tour, which must be booked in advance; ask when booking whether the main house is included. The exterior is visible from the old Kakunodate road.
- What is distinctive about the front of the Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House?
- It turns its gable end to the street, and four tiers of beams are stacked across that gable as a decorative feature.
- Why does the Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House have such large glass doors?
- They line the earth-floored passage on the west side and bring daylight into the house, a practical answer to the short, snowy winters of the area.
- Where is the Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House and how do I get there?
- It is inside the Suzuki Sake Brewery compound in Nagano, Daisen City, Akita Prefecture. It stands at the front of the compound, facing the old Kakunodate road. Ugo-Nagano Station on the JR Tazawako Line is about a 10-minute walk away.
Basic Information
| Name | Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House (鈴木酒造店事務所兼主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 9 Futsukamachi, Nagano, Daisen City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/4/3 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single-storey, partly 2 storeys; sheet-iron roof; building area 305 square metres |
| Owner | Suzuki Sake Brewery Partnership (合名会社鈴木酒造店) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the old Kakunodate road; interior shown on the brewery's paid tour (booking required) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Suzuki Sake Brewery Office and Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013208
- Hideyoshi, Suzuki Sake Brewery: Brewery Tours
- https://www.hideyoshi.co.jp/tour/
- Daisen City: Nationally Designated and Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.daisen.lg.jp/archive/contents-1884
Last verified: 2026.09.26
