About the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building
The Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building (旧サッポロビール九州工場醸造棟, Kyū Sapporo Bīru Kyūshū Kōjō Jōzōtō) is a brick brewhouse built in 1913 in Dairihonmachi, Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on July 31, 2007. Beer was made inside it until the plant closed in 2000.
The brewery building stands south of the office building. It covers 55 m north to south and 27 m east to west, with a building area of 1180 m², which makes it by far the largest of the four registered buildings at Moji Red Brick Place. Its 7-storey section can be seen from almost anywhere on the site.
Blocks of Different Heights
The Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building is less a single building than a cluster of brick blocks joined together. Kitakyushu City describes blocks of 3, 4 and 7 storeys in a row running south from the north end, with a 2-storey block under a gabled roof on the west side, the whole linked in a rough U shape.
The heights vary because the blocks were arranged to follow the stages of beer production. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values the large scale and the varied, distinctive outline this produces. Arched windows run around the walls, and the stepped facades build up one behind another as the eye travels along them.
To carry heavy machinery, the floors are built on brick arches. The outer walls are a red brick facing, but behind it the walls are laid in slag brick, and stone is used at structurally important points. Looking only at the red exterior, you would not guess at this double construction.
Significance and Design of the Brewery Building
The Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. Kitakyushu City stresses that the factory buildings were involved in brewing right up to the closure and that the facilities needed for beer production survive.
According to the Moji Red Brick Club, German-made brewing equipment from before the Second World War is kept inside. The club says the basic design is said to have come from the German firm Germania, with the detailed design probably by Hayashi Eijirō. Both points are tradition or inference, and the Agency's description names no designer.
The sources also differ on figures. The Agency gives the building area as 1180 m², the Moji Red Brick Club as about 1211.73 m². On ownership, the Agency database lists Kitakyushu City, while the club states that the brewery building was transferred to it free of charge. The basic information below follows the Agency.
Visiting the Brewery Building
The interior of the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building is normally closed. The Japan Heritage guide says it is opened to the public about twice a year, when visitors can step into what was the working heart of the brewery. The Moji Red Brick Club's visit guide gives the usual admission as 100 yen. Dates vary each year, so check the club's announcements (checked October 2026).
The exterior can be seen at any time. The way the walls climb through 3, 4 and then 7 storeys as you move south is easiest to read from the north side of the site. Seen next to the small union building that stands close to its north side, the brewery looks even bigger.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building
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Q&A
- Can I go inside the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building?
- Only on public opening days, held about twice a year. Check the Moji Red Brick Club's announcements for dates (checked October 2026).
- Until when was beer brewed in the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building?
- Until the plant closed in 2000. Beer had been made here for 87 years since the brewery was completed in 1913.
- Why does the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building have parts of different heights?
- Blocks of 2, 3, 4 and 7 storeys were combined to follow the stages of the brewing process.
- How big is the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building?
- It measures 55 m north to south and 27 m east to west, with a building area of 1180 m². The tallest part has 7 storeys.
- When did the Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On July 31, 2007, under registration number 40-0047, as a structure contributing to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building (旧サッポロビール九州工場醸造棟) |
|---|---|
| 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 1180 m², 55 m north to south, 27 m east to west (brick blocks of 2, 3, 4 and 7 storeys, sheet-metal roof) |
| Owner | Kitakyushu City (per the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Exterior freely visible. Interior open only on public days, about 2 times a year |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006285
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/197279
- Kitakyushu City: Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Brewery Building (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/contents/02100276.html
- Kitakyushu City: Former Sapporo Beer Kyushu Factory Office Building (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/contents/02100275.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
- Moji Red Brick Place: About the Moji Red Brick Club (Japanese)
- https://mojirenga.jp/information.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
