Where the Brewery Made Its Koji
Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse (奥の松酒造麹蔵, Okunomatsu Shuzō Kōji-gura) is a 2-storey reinforced concrete storehouse at the Okunomatsu brewery site in Kamegai, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, built in the early Showa period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 23, 2004. Its building area is 114 square meters.
Koji is steamed rice cultured with mold, and in sake making it supplies the enzymes that turn the rice starch into sugar. A koji storehouse is where it was made. At Okunomatsu the building stands northeast of the Second-Grade Storehouse, ridge running roughly north to south.
Concrete Piers and a Timber Truss
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse measures 13.5 meters by 8.4 meters. Both the walls and the upper floor are reinforced concrete, unlike the South Building on the same site, which has a timber upper floor.
The roof frame is a timber king post truss set on reinforced concrete piers. Over it runs a gabled roof of sheet metal laid in a diamond pattern, and a storehouse-style Hachimaki band circles the building under the eaves.
Why the Koji Storehouse Was Registered
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registration number 07-0075, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
A concrete body, a timber roof frame and a storehouse face: the same formula appears in the First-Grade Storehouse and the North Building. The Koji Storehouse takes it furthest, with concrete used for the floor as well as the walls.
Seeing the Okunomatsu Koji Storehouse
The roof identifies the Okunomatsu Koji Storehouse: diamond-laid metal sheets over a gable, with the band under the eaves tying the concrete walls and timber roof together in outward appearance. Published sources do not say how much of it can be seen from outside the site.
No interior openings have been announced (checked September 30, 2026). The site is private, so view only what is visible from the road.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse built?
- The national database dates it to the early Showa period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 23, 2004.
- How large is the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse?
- It is a 2-storey reinforced concrete building measuring 13.5 meters by 8.4 meters, with a building area of 114 square meters.
- How is the roof of the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse built?
- A timber king post truss sits on reinforced concrete piers and carries a gabled roof of metal sheet laid in a diamond pattern.
- Where is the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse on the brewery site?
- Northeast of the Second-Grade Storehouse, with its ridge running roughly north to south.
- Can I visit the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse?
- No interior openings have been announced, and published sources do not say how much of it is visible from outside the site.
Basic Information
| Name | Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse (奥の松酒造麹蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-213 Kamegai, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 07-0075 |
| Year Designated | Registered July 23, 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 114 square meters, 13.5 meters by 8.4 meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (the brewer is Okunomatsu Sake Brewery) |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004199
- Cultural Heritage Online: Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Koji Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/195199
Last verified: 2026.09.30
