What the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse Is
The Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse (ヤマモ味噌醤油醸造元兵助蔵, Heisuke-gura), a former household storehouse, is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri strongroom of 1894 behind the shop-house of a miso and soy sauce brewery in Iwasaki, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, and became Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 3 December 2024. It has a building area of 234 square metres, a sheet-metal roof, and an outer protective shelter over the whole structure.
A household storehouse held the things a family could not afford to lose: furnishings, clothing, account books. The brewery's chronology says the second head of the house built one in 1894. His childhood name was Heisuke, and the storehouse still goes by it.
The Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse is not a detached building. A continuous protective sheath, the saya, runs back from the main house and over the storehouse, so that home and strongroom sit under one covering.
Why It Was Listed
The Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse was listed as a model of design, a criterion applied to only two of the brewery's eight buildings (the other is the Mosuke and Myoken Storehouse; the remaining six were listed for their contribution to the landscape). The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a weighty yet refined storehouse by local carpenters.
The case rests on the finish. The walls are black Shikkui lime plaster polished to a sheen, with a two-tier hachimaki, the thickened plaster band under the eaves, and white plaster at selected points to set off the black. Polished black plaster is built up coat by coat and pressed to bring out the gloss, work in which the plasterer's skill is left plainly on the surface.
Look down as well. The foundation is brick laid in stretcher bond, every brick showing its long face. In 1894 Yuzawa, brick was already going into the base of a traditional storehouse.
What to Look For
Both floors inside are boarded, and the doorway and windows are hung with kakegonuri doors. On these plastered storehouse doors the edges of door and frame are built up in steps that interlock when shut, to keep out flame and smoke if fire breaks out. The thickness of the door and the number of steps show how much a family valued what lay behind them.
The Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse is gabled, in Kirizuma-zukuri form, and entered from the gable end, Tsumairi. Stand in front of the doorway and the white-finished surround stands out against the black wall. Not all black, but black with white at the key points: that contrast is the heart of the design.
Today the Heisuke Storehouse serves as the brewery's hall, the venue for its factory tour and meal courses. A room built to guard possessions now receives guests. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database includes a photograph of the upper floor looking south.
Visiting
You can enter the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse on the brewery's factory tour, whose published route lists the hall in the Heisuke Storehouse; the courses that include a meal also use it (checked 25 September 2026). All must be booked by the day before.
Because it stands behind the shop-house under its sheath, the black plaster cannot be seen from the old Ushu Kaido. If the walls and doors are what interest you, take a moment in front of the doorway during the tour. Photography is generally allowed on the tour, though some spots are off limits.
Directions to the site and the general conditions for visiting are set out on the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery page.
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Q&A
- When was the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse built?
- In 1894. The brewery's chronology says the second head of the house, whose childhood name was Heisuke, built it as a household storehouse.
- Can I go inside the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse?
- Yes. The brewery's factory tour includes the hall in the Heisuke Storehouse. Booking by the day before is required (checked 25 September 2026).
- How are the walls of the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse finished?
- In polished black lime plaster with a two-tier band under the eaves and white plaster at key points. The foundation is brick in stretcher bond.
- Can the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse be seen from the street?
- No. It stands north of the shop-house under a sheath continuous with the main house, so the black walls are visible only from inside the site.
- Why is the Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was listed as a model of design, recognising the weighty yet refined work of local carpenters.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse (Former Household Goods Storehouse) (ヤマモ味噌醤油醸造元兵助蔵（旧家財蔵）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 124 Iwasaki, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), register no. 05-0252 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/12/03 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 234 square metres, with protective shelter |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Interior on the factory tour (booking required). Not visible from the street. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Heisuke Storehouse (Former Household Goods Storehouse)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015124
- Agency for Cultural Affairs: Council for Cultural Affairs recommendations, 19 July 2024
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/pdf/94084201_01.pdf
- Yuzawa City: Yamamo Miso and Soy Sauce Brewery Shop and Main House and seven other buildings
- https://www.city-yuzawa.jp/site/bunkazai/6175.html
- YAMAMO / TAKAMO & Corp.: Company
- https://yamamo1867.com/company/
- YAMAMO / TAKAMO & Corp.: Restaurant and Tour
- https://yamamo1867.com/plan/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
