About the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building
The Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building (旧サッポロビール九州工場組合棟, Kyū Sapporo Bīru Kyūshū Kōjō Kumiaitō) is a single-storey brick building built in 1917 in Dairihonmachi, Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on July 31, 2007. It is the smallest of the four registered buildings and the only one put up after the brewery's opening year, four years later.
The union building stands close to the north side of the brewery building. It measures 12 m by 9 m, with a sheet-metal gabled roof and a building area of 108 m². The word kumiai means a union or association, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Kitakyushu City sources we consulted do not say whose union it was or how the building was used. The English name follows the Japan Heritage guide.
A Weighty Exterior for a Small Building
For a single-storey building, the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building has real presence. Its floor is set 1.7 m above the ground, which lifts the whole building as if it stood on a plinth. The doorway opens on the north side, and arched windows run around the walls.
Pilasters are expressed on the outside of the walls, drawing vertical lines up the brickwork, and stone keystones crown the arches. On the gable walls a Parapet rises so that the brick climbs above the edge of the roof. With stone points set into the red brick and the pilasters casting shadows, the walls have plenty of texture for so small a building.
There is a basement under the raised floor. Kitakyushu City records that it is just under 2 m high, with a poured concrete floor and a timber joisted ceiling.
Why the Union Building Was Registered
The Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the heavy, solid exterior built up from pilasters, keystones and parapets, and Kitakyushu City notes that it is unusually decorative for an ancillary factory building.
The Moji Red Brick Club says the basic design of both the brewery and the union building is said to have come from the German firm Germania, with the detailed design probably by Hayashi Eijirō. Neither point goes beyond tradition or inference. Standing beside the great brewhouse, this carefully finished little building in the same red brick gives that corner of the factory a tidy, deliberate look.
Seeing the Union Building
We found no notice of the interior of the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building being opened to the public (checked October 2026). The Moji Red Brick Club's website lists it as the Red Brick Photo Studio, but a studio of the same name moved into the office building in May 2026, and we could not confirm how the union building is used today.
The exterior can be seen from the grounds. It sits on the north side of the brewery building, so look for the brewery's north wall first. Walk round to the north face with the doorway to see the raised floor and the stone keystones over the arched windows most clearly.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building built?
- In 1917. The other three registered buildings date from 1913, so the union building came four years later.
- What was the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building used for?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs and Kitakyushu City sources we consulted do not explain what the kumiai (union) in its name refers to or how it was first used.
- What is under the raised floor of the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building?
- A basement. The floor is 1.7 m above ground, and the basement below is just under 2 m high, with a concrete floor and a timber joisted ceiling.
- Can I go inside the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building?
- We found no notice of public access to the interior (checked October 2026). The exterior can be seen from the grounds of Moji Red Brick Place.
- When did the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On July 31, 2007, under registration number 40-0048, as a structure contributing to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building (旧サッポロビール九州工場組合棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-6-103 Dairihonmachi, Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2007 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 108 m², 12 m by 9 m (brick, single storey, gabled sheet-metal roof) |
| Owner | Moji Red Brick Club (specified non-profit corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the grounds. No notice of interior access |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006286
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191010
- Kitakyushu City: Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Union Building (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/contents/02100277.html
- Japan Heritage Kanmon Nostalgic Straits: Former Sapporo Breweries Kyushu Plant Office, Brewery, Union Bldg., Warehouses
- https://www.japanheritage-kannmon.jp/bunkazai/index.cfm?id=17
- Moji Red Brick Place: Facilities (Japanese)
- https://mojirenga.jp/place.html
- Spina Co., Ltd.: Renewal of the Moji Beer Brick Museum, May 13, 2026 (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.nishitetsu.co.jp/ja/news/news20260513/main/0/link/26_012.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
