The pressing house
The fune-gura, or pressing house, of Sasa Masamune Shuzo stood on the eastern part of the grounds along the street to the north, a single-story mud-walled storehouse. Built in 1917, it covered about 146 square meters. Running east to west under a gabled metal-sheet roof, it was where joso took place, the pressing that separates the finished mash into clear sake and lees. Its name comes from the fune, the trough-like press used for that work.
A wet-work building built for ventilation
Because pressing involves a great deal of water, the building had windows on every face for air flow. Lean-to passages linked it to the shikomi-gura and the washing area so that the stages of brewing continued without a break. Plain rather than showy, it showed clearly how the actual labor of sake-making was carried out. On 14 October 2021 it was registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property with the group of brewery buildings.
Lost in the fire of 2026
In the fire of 1 June 2026 the flames traveled along the storehouses joined by lean-to passages, and the pressing house burned as well. Six of the eight registered cultural properties were destroyed. More than 25,000 bottles of sake awaiting shipment were lost, as was the brewing equipment, including a koji room renewed only in 2024. Under Article 59, paragraph 3 of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, registered buildings lost to fire are expected to be removed from the register.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sasa Masamune Sake Brewery Tank Warehouse
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- What was the pressing house for?
- It housed joso, the pressing that separates the mash into clear sake and lees. Its name comes from the fune, the press used for the work.
- Why did it have so many windows?
- Pressing is wet work, so windows were placed on every face for ventilation.
- When was it built?
- In 1917. It was a single-story mud-walled storehouse of about 146 square meters.
- Does it still exist?
- No. It was destroyed in the fire of 1 June 2026, one of six registered properties lost.
Basic Information
| Name | 笹正宗酒造槽蔵 (Sasa Masamune Shuzo) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kamisannomiya, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Category | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Date registered | 14 October 2021 |
| Registration no. | 07-0265 |
| Date of construction | 大正6年 (1917) |
| Structure | 土蔵造平屋建、鉄板葺、建築面積146㎡ |
| 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/101/00013940
- 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