The Oldest Building on the Okunomatsu Site
Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building (奥の松酒造二級蔵中棟, Okunomatsu Shuzō Nikyū-gura Nakatō) is a 2-storey timber storehouse at the Okunomatsu brewery site in Kamegai, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, built in the early Taisho period, altered in the early Showa period, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 23, 2004. Its building area is 99 square meters.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies it as the oldest surviving building of the brewery. It is the only Taisho-period building among the six registered, and also the smallest.
A Koji House Raised to Two Storeys
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building adjoins the North Building on its south side, ridge running east to west. It is 3 Ken deep under a gabled sheet-metal roof. According to the Agency, it appears to have begun as a single-storey koji house, where steamed rice was cultured with mold for brewing.
When the South Building was built next to it, the Middle Building was raised to two storeys and the east side of its ground floor was turned into a cold room. The oldest building on the site was not replaced as the brewery modernized; it was reworked and kept in use.
Why the Middle Building Was Registered
The Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registration number 07-0073, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Look at the base. The foundation is laid stone and the lower walls are brick, a clear break from the timber above. Where the other five buildings were put up in early Showa concrete or earthen construction, the Middle Building keeps the stone-and-brick groundwork of the Taisho years and marks the earliest stage of the brewery that survives.
Seeing the Okunomatsu Middle Building
Sandwiched between the North and South Buildings, the Okunomatsu Middle Building shows very little of itself to the outside. If any of it is visible, the stone foundation and brick lower walls are what distinguish 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 Middle Building
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building built?
- The national database gives the early Taisho period, with alterations in the early Showa period. It is the oldest surviving building of the brewery.
- What was the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building originally used for?
- It appears to have been a single-storey koji house. It was raised to two storeys when the South Building was built.
- What was the east side of the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building ground floor used for?
- It was converted into a cold room during the alterations that accompanied the building of the South Building.
- What is distinctive about the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building construction?
- A laid-stone foundation and brick lower walls beneath a timber structure, under a gabled sheet-metal roof.
- Can I visit the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building?
- No interior openings have been announced. Set between the North and South Buildings, it shows little to the outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Okunomatsu Sake Brewery Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building (奥の松酒造二級蔵中棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-213 Kamegai, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 07-0073 |
| Year Designated | Registered July 23, 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof, building area 99 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 Middle Building (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004197
- Cultural Heritage Online: Second-Grade Storehouse Middle Building (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/117277
Last verified: 2026.09.30
