Called new, and the oldest building here
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse is a storehouse with tatami rooms at a sake brewery in Nisshincho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, built in 1892 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2018. It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 45 square metres, the smallest of the nine listed items here.
The name records that it was the newest storehouse on the site when it went up. A city fire in 1906 then destroyed most of the others, and this became the oldest building left at Kaeigura. The name and the fact traded places, and only the name stayed.
It stands just south of the office wing of the main house, its ridge running east to west under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof, with doorways on the west, south and north faces and a window on the east. Paired with the office, it forms the front that the compound shows to the road.
Why it was listed
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse was listed under the criterion for structures that contribute to the historic landscape of the country, with the registration number 07-0186.
Two things carried the case. One is its part in the street frontage, standing beside the office wing. The other is what is inside: this is a storehouse fitted out with rooms. The ground floor holds two rooms in line, and although it has been altered, the Ranma transoms and the Hako-kaidan step chest keep their original character.
Building living rooms inside thick storehouse walls was a sensible choice in a castle town that burned more than once. That the building survived the fire of 1906 bears the judgement out.
Now a café inside a storehouse
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse is used today as the café Kyo, which serves coffee and cakes made with daiginjo sake. Anyone who takes a seat sees the interior of the Zashiki rooms. Of the nine listed items in the compound, this is the only one you can enter without waiting for a guide.
Look at the height to the ceiling and the depth of the walls. Dozo-zukuri construction means thick earth over a timber frame and few openings. In summer the temperature inside tells you how thick.
Outside, trace the three doorways. Apart from the east window the walls are closed, and it is that near-blankness towards the street that gives the building its weight.
Visiting
The exterior of Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse can be seen from the street at any time, with no restriction on photography.
The interior is open during café hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with last orders at 4:00 p.m. The café closes on Wednesdays and on the first and third Thursdays, except when those days are public holidays. Be considerate of other customers if you photograph the room.
Opening times, closing days and directions for the compound as a whole are set out on the page for Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I go inside Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse?
- Yes. It houses the café Kyo, open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with last orders at 4:00 p.m., so customers see the interior.
- Why is Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse called new?
- Because it was the newest storehouse on the site when it was built in 1892. After the fire of 1906 destroyed the others, it became the oldest building in the compound.
- What kind of building is Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse?
- A two-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 45 square metres. The ground floor has two rooms in line, with original transoms and a step chest.
- When is the café Kyo closed?
- On Wednesdays and on the first and third Thursdays, unless those fall on a public holiday. Its closing days differ from those of the shop and the brewery tour.
- When was Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse listed?
- On 2 November 2018, under registration number 07-0186, together with the other eight items in the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 159 Nisshincho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 45 square metres |
| Owner | Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street at any time; interior open during café hours |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura New Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012471
- Kaeigura tours (Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.)
- https://sake-suehiro.co.jp/museum
- History of Suehiro (Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.)
- https://sake-suehiro.co.jp/history
Last verified: 2026.09.17
