Where the yeast starter was raised
The moto-gura of Sasa Masamune Shuzo stood on the south side of the grounds, a two-story mud-walled storehouse. Built around 1925 and remodeled in 2011, it had a tiled roof, hipped on the south and gabled on the north, over a truss frame, and covered about 170 square meters. This was where the moto, the yeast starter or seed mash, was raised. Making the moto means culturing yeast with steamed rice, koji, and water to build the foundation for the mash that follows.
A hinge in the snow-country brewing circuit
The moto-gura was tied by a lean-to passage to the shikomi-gura, where the next mash stage took place, and by a covered corridor to the upper floor of the storage building, where straw mats and cloth were dried. To cope with winter in the deep snows of Aizu-Kitakata, the brewery linked its storehouses so that drying and moving could be done without relying on the open air. The moto-gura sat at one of the junctions of that circuit. 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
On 1 June 2026 fire broke out at the brewery and spread along the storehouses joined by lean-to and covered passages. The moto-gura was one of the six registered cultural properties destroyed. Sake awaiting shipment and the brewing equipment were also lost, in the first great fire in the brewery's history. The company has said it is considering brewing at borrowed facilities while it works to rebuild. Registered buildings lost to fire are expected to be removed from the register under Article 59, paragraph 3 of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Sasa Masamune Sake Brewery Motogura
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- What was the moto-gura for?
- It was where the moto, or yeast starter, was raised, culturing yeast with steamed rice, koji, and water as the foundation for the main mash.
- How was it connected to the other buildings?
- By a lean-to passage to the shikomi-gura and by a covered corridor to the drying floor of the storage building.
- How old was it?
- Built around 1925 and remodeled in 2011. It covered about 170 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 | 笹正宗酒造酛蔵 (Sasa Masamune Shuzo) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kamisannomiya, Kitakata City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Category | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Date registered | 14 October 2021 |
| Registration no. | 07-0263 |
| Date of construction | 大正14年頃／平成23年改修 (1925) |
| Structure | 土蔵造2階建、瓦葺、建築面積170㎡ |
| 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/101/00013938
- 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