The Northern End of the Second-Grade Storehouse
Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building (奥の松酒造二級蔵北棟, Okunomatsu Shuzō Nikyū-gura Kitatō) is a 2-storey timber brewing 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 139 square meters.
The Second-Grade Storehouse is three buildings joined end to end from north to south, and this is the northernmost. It stands near the middle of the site, toward the north, with its ridge running east to west.
Doors on Three Sides and a Storehouse-Style Eave
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building measures 8.5 ken by 4.5 ken, counted in Ken bays, under a gabled sheet-metal roof. It has doorways in both gable ends, east and west, and a third in the south wall, with the stair to the upper floor placed near that south door.
The roof frame is the same timber king post truss used in the First-Grade Storehouse. Outside, a Hachimaki band runs under the eaves in the manner of an earthen storehouse, so that at the eave line this timber building takes on the look of a plastered dozo.
Why the North Building Was Registered
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registration number 07-0072, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
It combines in one building two methods that appear elsewhere on the site: the king post truss of the First-Grade Storehouse and the storehouse-style eave band of the Koji Storehouse. Giving a timber brewing house the face of an earthen store was a habit the brewery repeated across its early Showa buildings, and the North Building shows it clearly.
Seeing the Okunomatsu North Building
The Okunomatsu North Building stands in the interior of the site, and published sources do not say how much of it can be seen from the road. The sheet-metal gable and the band under the eaves are the features that identify it.
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 Second-Grade Storehouse North Building
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Q&A
- When was the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building built?
- The national database dates it to the early Showa period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 23, 2004.
- What was the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building used for?
- It is a brewing storehouse where sake was fermented: 2 storeys of timber with a building area of 139 square meters.
- Where is the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building within the Second-Grade Storehouse?
- At the north end of the three joined buildings. The Middle Building adjoins it to the south, and the South Building follows.
- How many doorways does the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building have?
- Three: one in each gable end, east and west, and one in the south wall, with the stair to the upper floor beside the south door.
- Can I visit the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building?
- No interior openings have been announced, and because it stands in the middle of the site, little of it is likely to be visible from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse North Building (奥の松酒造二級蔵北棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-213 Kamegai, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 07-0072 |
| Year Designated | Registered July 23, 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 139 square 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: Second-Grade Storehouse North Building (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004196
- Cultural Heritage Online: Second-Grade Storehouse North Building (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180416
Last verified: 2026.09.30
