The Brewery's Face on the Street
The Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House (石蔵酒造事務所兼主屋) is a two-storey town house that doubles as a sake brewery office of the Taisho era (1912 to 1926) 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, a building area of 204 square metres and a chimney; registration number 40-0061.
A Town House in Three Parts
The Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House faces the street on the north side of the brewery site (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its frontage runs 18 metres, divided from west to east into an earth-floored entrance hall, an office and living rooms.
The roof combines hip-and-gable and gabled sections in an intricate arrangement, so the three parts read in the roofline as well (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A covered corridor links the house to the former rice mill in the west corner of the site.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency singles out the street front: flat lattices on the ground floor, and above them plastered walls in white lime with double doors sheathed in copper. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
A Taisho-era house that combines the brewer's office and home, set in front of a Meiji storehouse, adds another layer to the history of the site.
What to Look For
Stand across the street and look at the front. The flat lattices below and the white walls above set each other off, and the copper-sheathed double doors on the upper floor stand out against the plaster (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Then look up at the roof and trace where the hip-and-gable and gabled sections meet, roughly marking the entrance hall, office and living quarters below.
The building also has its own chimney (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
No information on interior access to the Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House has been published; the front can be seen from the street. There are no published rules on photography. The brewery shop, where you can taste and buy sake, is inside the storehouses and opens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Tuesdays and at New Year (Ishikura Shuzo).
Q&A
- When was the Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House built?
- In the Taisho era, between 1912 and 1926 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Ishikura Sake Brewery office?
- The street front, with flat lattices below, white plastered walls and copper-sheathed doors above, and the combined hip-and-gable and gabled roof.
- Can I go inside the Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House?
- No information on interior access has been published. The front is visible from the street, and the brewery shop is inside the storehouses.
- Where is the Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House?
- At 1-3-6 Katakasu, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, facing the street on the north side.
- When was the Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House registered?
- On January 26, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House (石蔵酒造事務所兼主屋) |
|---|---|
| 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, 204 m², with chimney |
| Owner | Ishikura Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street (no information on interior access) |
References
- Ishikura Sake Brewery Office and Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008597
- History of Ishikura Shuzo (Ishikura Shuzo, Japanese)
- https://www.ishikura-shuzou.co.jp/about/
- Brewery Shop (Ishikura Shuzo, Japanese)
- https://www.ishikura-shuzou.co.jp/liquor/shop/
Last verified: 2026.10.29
