The Older of Two Fire-Surviving Sake Stores
The Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse (渡辺彦兵衛商店上蔵) is a clay-walled sake storehouse of the late 18th century in Shitamachi, Gojome Town, Akita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 20, 1996 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey clay-walled storehouse with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 284 square metres; registration number 05-0007.
The brewery, now Fukurokuju Brewery, calls it the upper sake storehouse. It is slightly older than the Lower Storehouse registered alongside it, which makes it the oldest building on the site.
A Storehouse That Outlasted the Fire
The Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse came through a great fire of the Taisho era together with the Lower Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The brewery dates that fire to October 1921: it burned through the centre of town and left the brewery with little more than its two sake storehouses.
Wrapped in thick clay walls, a dozo-zukuri storehouse is built to resist fire, and that is exactly what this one did while the buildings around it were lost. Sake and the household's valuables were what such stores were meant to protect.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency draws attention to the frame inside. The heavy main posts stand every two and a half ken (about 4.5 metres), and the rafters are set at intervals of three shaku (about 0.9 metres). The simple, bold framing and the thick timbers give the interior great strength.
Together with the Office and Residence, it is a familiar landmark of a townscape known for sake brewing, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
The real interest of the Upper Storehouse lies inside: thick posts spaced about 4.5 metres apart, with closely set rafters above. Few posts mean a broad, open floor, well suited to a brewery that needs room for large vats.
From outside, look at the sheer mass of the clay walls and compare them with the Lower Storehouse next door; the Agency notes that the two are almost identical in size and wall design.
Visiting
The Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse belongs to a working brewery, and the interior can only be seen on a brewery tour or a similar occasion. The brewery's website says tours are suspended for the time being (checked October 19, 2026), so contact the brewery before planning a visit.
Q&A
- When was the Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late 18th century, slightly earlier than the Lower Storehouse.
- Why did the Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse survive the fire of 1921?
- Its thick clay walls are built to resist fire. The brewery says only its upper and lower sake storehouses survived.
- What should I look for in the Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse?
- The bold frame: thick posts every two and a half ken (about 4.5 metres) and rafters every three shaku (about 0.9 metres) (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside the Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse?
- The brewery's website says tours are suspended for the time being (checked October 19, 2026); contact the brewery first.
- When was the Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse registered?
- On December 20, 1996 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse (渡辺彦兵衛商店上蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 48 Shitamachi, Gojome Town, Minamiakita District, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1996/12/20 (Heisei 8) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey clay-walled storehouse, sheet-iron roof, 284 m² |
| Owner | Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Co., Ltd. (renamed Fukurokuju Brewery Co., Ltd. in 2004) |
| Public Access | Working brewery (tours suspended for now, per the brewery) |
References
- Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000017
- Watanabe Hikobei Shoten Upper Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/113097
- History (Fukurokuju Brewery, Japanese)
- https://fukurokuju.jp/history/
- Brewery Tour (Fukurokuju Brewery, Japanese)
- https://fukurokuju.jp/brewery/
Last verified: 2026.10.19
