A brewing storehouse on the street, with a brick base
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 is a brewing storehouse at a sake brewery in Nisshincho, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, built in 1907 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 146 square metres.
It stands at the middle of the northern edge of the compound, along the street that runs behind the main house. The ridge runs east to west under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof, and a doorway opens on the west face. Because it fronts the back street rather than the main one, the wall of the storehouse doubles as a boundary wall.
It went up the year after the city fire of 1906, the same year as storehouse No. 4, and was repaired in 2001.
Why it was listed
Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 was listed under the criterion for structures that contribute to the historic landscape of the country, with the registration number 07-0188.
What distinguishes it is the modern construction inside a traditional envelope. The lower wall is exposed brick, and the roof is carried on trusses. Late Meiji technique has entered the skin of a storehouse.
The interior has been altered, but the exterior keeps the look of a traditional sake storehouse. Standing directly on the street, its wall is itself part of the castle-town streetscape, and the listing says so.
Brick at the foot, trusses overhead
Start at the bottom of the wall. From the ground to about waist height the brickwork is left exposed, and the line where it meets the white plastered wall above is sharp. Bracing the foot of a wall in brick, where damp and knocks do the most damage, was the same reasoning used in factories of the period.
The roof trusses are a Western form of framing. Instead of posts standing up to carry a ridge beam, triangles carry the load out to the walls. If you get inside Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3, look up.
From outside, find the doorway on the west face. The north side facing the street has almost no openings, which shows that everything came and went from within the compound.
Visiting
The exterior of Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 can be seen at any time from the street along the north side of the compound, and that is the place to stand if you want to look at the brick base. Photography is unrestricted.
The interior belongs to a working facility and is open only on the guided tour, which lasts about 30 minutes; the guide decides how far it goes.
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. 3
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- Where can I see Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 from?
- It fronts the street along the north side of the compound, so the exterior is visible at any time. That is also the best place to look at the exposed brick base. Photography is unrestricted.
- Why is the lower wall of Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 in brick?
- To protect the foot of the wall from damp and knocks. Factories of the same period used the same reasoning, and the line between brick and plaster above is clearly drawn.
- When was Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 built?
- In 1907, the year after the city fire of 1906 and the same year as storehouse No. 4. It was repaired in 2001.
- Can I see inside Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3?
- Only on the guided brewery tour. The interior has been altered, but original features such as the roof trusses remain.
- What is the registration number of Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3?
- 07-0188. All nine items in the compound were listed together on 2 November 2018.
Basic Information
| Name | Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 |
|---|---|
| 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 146 square metres |
| Owner | Suehiro Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the north street at any time; interior only on a guided tour |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura Storehouse No. 3 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012473
- 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
