The Building That Carries the Okunomatsu Name
Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building (奥の松酒造二級蔵南棟, Okunomatsu Shuzō Nikyū-gura Minamitō) is a 2-storey reinforced concrete 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 119 square meters.
It is the southern end of the three joined buildings of the Second-Grade Storehouse, adjoining the Middle Building. On its south face the three characters of the brand, 奥 (Oku), の (no) and 松 (Matsu), stand out in relief, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it the symbol of the brewery.
A Concrete Shell with a Timber Floor
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building measures 16.2 meters by 6.9 meters. The shell is reinforced concrete, but the upper floor is timber, and the upper level holds what the registration record calls the hiroshiki.
The roof is a flat roof, with a Parapet raised along the east, south and west sides. Among the pitched tile and sheet-metal roofs of the site, this is the only building whose roofline ends in a level edge. Its lower walls are scored to look like stone masonry, a finish the Pressing Storehouse repeats on its gable ends.
Why the South Building Was Registered
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registration number 07-0074, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
What sets it apart is that the brand name is built into the wall. It was a working brewing house, and at the same time its south face served as the brewery's signboard. The level parapet outline adds to the effect, making the South Building read differently from every pitched roof around it.
Seeing the Okunomatsu South Building
The raised characters on the south face are the first thing to look for on the Okunomatsu South Building, though published sources do not say where the south face can be seen from outside the site. The flat roofline and the stone-pattern lower walls also 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.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South 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 is written on the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building?
- The three characters of the brand name, 奥, の and 松, are raised on the south face. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the building the symbol of the brewery.
- How large is the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building?
- It measures 16.2 meters by 6.9 meters, with a building area of 119 square meters.
- Is the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building built entirely of concrete?
- The shell is reinforced concrete, but the upper floor is timber. The roof is flat, with a parapet on three sides.
- Can I visit the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building?
- No interior openings have been announced, and it is not confirmed whether the lettered south face can be seen from outside the site.
Basic Information
| Name | Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse South Building (奥の松酒造二級蔵南棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-213 Kamegai, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 07-0074 |
| Year Designated | Registered July 23, 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys, building area 119 square meters, 16.2 meters by 6.9 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 South Building (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004198
- Cultural Heritage Online: Second-Grade Storehouse South Building (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/139968
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Pressing Storehouse, on the shared stone-pattern finish (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004200
Last verified: 2026.09.30
