The street-facing face of the brewery
The shop-residence of Sasa Masamune Shuzo was a two-story timber building that faced north, reached by passing through the gate from the street. Built in the early Meiji period and remodeled in 1921, it had a tiled roof, hipped on the west and gabled on the east, with part of it in sheet metal, and covered about 329 square meters. This was the center of the family's business and daily life as brewers in Kamisannomiya.
Shop and parlor of an old merchant house
The ground floor combined an earthen-floor work area, a shop front (mise), and rooms laid out in a four-square plan; the upper floor held a parlor finished in choice timber. A household altar hung in the shop, and an open well of space rose grandly above it. Trade at the front, living quarters behind, guests received upstairs: the building showed clearly how a sake merchant's household had lived since early modern times. On 14 October 2021 it was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property as the central building of the brewery complex.
Lost in the fire of 2026
On 1 June 2026 fire broke out at the brewery and spread through the main house, the storehouses, and a warehouse, all joined under connected eaves. About 2,943 square meters burned, and six registered cultural properties, including the shop-residence, were destroyed. Photographs released by the prefecture showed the street gate still standing while the main house behind was lost. Under Article 59, paragraph 3 of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, removal of its registration is expected.
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Q&A
- What was the shop-residence?
- The street-facing face of the brewery, a two-story timber building with an earthen-floored shop below and a timber parlor above.
- How old was it?
- Built in the early Meiji period and remodeled in 1921. It covered about 329 square meters.
- How was it used?
- Trade at the front, living quarters behind, guests upstairs, in the manner of a sake merchant's household since early modern times.
- Does it still exist?
- No. It was destroyed in the fire of 1 June 2026. The gate survived, but the main house was lost.
Basic Information
| Name | 笹正宗酒造店舗兼主屋 (Sasa Masamune Shuzo) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kamisannomiya, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Category | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Date registered | 14 October 2021 |
| Registration no. | 07-0262 |
| Date of construction | 明治前期／大正10年改修 (1868～1882) |
| Structure | 木造2階建、鉄板葺一部瓦葺、建築面積329㎡ |
| Owner | Sasa Masamune Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Present status | Destroyed in the fire of 1 June 2026; removal of registration anticipated |
| Access | Grounds under post-fire reconstruction; not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — National Cultural Properties Database (Sasa Masamune Shuzo)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013937
- Sasa Masamune Shuzo Co., Ltd. — Company profile
- https://www.sasamasamune.com/company.html
- Fukushima Minyu — Fire at the Sasa Masamune brewery, 1 June 2026
- https://www.minyu-net.com/news/detail/2026060113102350523
- Fukushima Minpo — Cultural properties and brewing equipment lost to fire
- https://www.minpo.jp/articles/-/146364
- Fukushima Minyu — Brewery to rebuild, one month after the fire
- https://www.minyu-net.com/news/detail/2026070108272151729
Last verified: 2026.07.04