Black Boards and White Plaster in the West Corner
The Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill (石蔵酒造西倉及び旧精米所) is a storehouse and a former rice mill registered together of the early Showa era (1926 to 1945) in Katakasu, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber building of 2 storeys with a tiled roof and a building area of 429 square metres, with a covered corridor, a chimney and a boiler room; registration number 40-0063.
A Storehouse and a Rice Mill on the Corner
The Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill stands in the west corner of the brewery site (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The former rice mill faces the street, the west storehouse continues to the north, and a covered corridor leads across to the office and main house. Both have gabled roofs of interlocking tiles.
The registration also takes in a chimney and a boiler room (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A brewery rice mill is where sake rice is polished, and a boiler room of this kind normally housed the cauldrons for steaming rice, so this corner kept the opening stages of brewing together on the street.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency points to the exterior: the west gable fully clad in weatherboarding, and the south front boarded to waist height with lime plaster above. The vivid contrast of black boards and white plaster gives the buildings their character, and they were registered for their contribution to the historic landscape.
The Roof after the Fire
The fire of October 8, 2011 started in the kitchen on the west side, according to the brewery's rebuilding diary, and it reached the west storehouse. The architect Shozaburo Takagi recorded that the roof frame above the west storehouse was taken down and rebuilt, and that to save time it was covered with folded metal sheeting.
Since the Agency's record describes a tiled roof, the west storehouse roof may no longer match the registered description. The weatherboard and plaster walls that the registration praises can still be seen from the street.
What to Look For
From the street, look at the south front of the old rice mill: black weatherboarding up to waist height, white plaster above. On the west side the whole gable is boarded (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Follow the line where black meets white along the wall and you see how neatly the elevation is composed.
Note too the covered corridor that ties the building to the office and main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The south front of the Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill can be seen from the street. No information on interior access has been published, and there are no tours of the brewing floor (Ishikura Shuzo). No rules on photography have been published.
Q&A
- When was the Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill built?
- In the early Showa era, between 1926 and 1945 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the Ishikura west storehouse and rice mill?
- A former rice mill on the street and a storehouse behind it, with a corridor to the office, a chimney and a boiler room (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Ishikura west storehouse?
- The contrast of black weatherboarding at the base and white lime plaster above.
- Can I visit the Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill?
- The south front is visible from the street; there is no published interior access and no brewery tour.
- When was the Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill registered?
- On January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill (石蔵酒造西倉及び旧精米所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-3-6 Katakasu, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/01/26 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 429 m², with corridor, chimney and boiler room |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | South front visible from the street (no information on interior access) |
References
- Ishikura Sake Brewery West Storehouse and Former Rice Mill (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008599
- History of Ishikura Shuzo (Ishikura Shuzo, Japanese)
- https://www.ishikura-shuzou.co.jp/about/
- Rebuilding Diary of Hakata Hyakunen-gura (Ishikura Shuzo, Japanese)
- https://www.ishikura-shuzou.co.jp/nikki/
- Rebuilding Diary, November 2011 (Ishikura Shuzo, Japanese)
- https://www.ishikura-shuzou.co.jp/nikki/np4.html
- Brewery Shop (Ishikura Shuzo, Japanese)
- https://www.ishikura-shuzou.co.jp/liquor/shop/
Last verified: 2026.10.29
