A brewing hall 38 metres long
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 is the brewing hall of a sake brewery in Nisshincho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, built in 1922 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2018. It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof, a building area of 365 square metres, and a length of 38 metres along the ridge.
It runs east to west across more than half of the southern edge of the compound, under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof. A doorway opens at the centre of the north face, and on the east face is an opening used for moving casks in and out.
Inside there are no partitions. A koji room sits on the upper floor. Of the sequence of steaming rice, growing koji mould, fermenting and storing, this building held the fermenting.
Why it was listed
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 was listed under the criterion for structures that contribute to the historic landscape of the country, with the registration number 07-0187.
Its value lies in scale and construction together. A length of 38 metres was large for a provincial brewery in the Taisho era. Building it in thick storehouse walls, keeping the openings few and leaving the interior as one room, turns the purpose directly into form.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that this building, with the office wing and the new storehouse, helps give the compound its dignified face. The quality of that frontage does not stop at the street.
One long room, and the koji chamber above
Step inside Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 and the full 38 metres opens in front of you. Posts divide the span, but the room does not, and the floor where fermentation vats once stood in rows is still legible.
The koji room upstairs is where steamed rice is spread and inoculated with koji mould. It needs steady warmth and humidity, so it is walled thickly and placed away from outside air. The upper floor of a storehouse answers those conditions.
Outside, find the opening on the east face. It was made for handling casks, and it differs in both size and height from the doorway in the middle of the north face. What moved in and out, and from where, can be read off the openings.
Visiting
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 stands at the back of the compound, and from the street only part of its roof shows. To see the exterior you need to come inside the grounds.
The interior is a working brewing facility, open only on the guided tour, which lasts about 30 minutes. During the brewing season the extent of what can be shown depends on the work in hand. Follow the guide's instructions about photography.
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 Storehouse No. 1
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I see inside Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1?
- Only on the guided brewery tour, which lasts about 30 minutes. This is a working brewing facility, so visitors cannot enter on their own.
- How large is Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1?
- It runs 38 metres along the ridge and covers a building area of 365 square metres, filling more than half of the southern edge of the compound.
- What was Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 used for?
- Fermentation. The interior is a single undivided room, and a koji room for growing koji mould occupies part of the upper floor.
- When was Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 built?
- In 1922, the same year the main house was enlarged.
- Is Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 an Important Cultural Property?
- No. It was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 November 2018, under registration number 07-0187.
Basic Information
| Name | Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 |
|---|---|
| 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 365 square metres, 38 metres along the ridge |
| Owner | Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from within the compound; interior only on a guided tour |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 1 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012472
- 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
