About the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse
The Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse (旧広島県西条清酒醸造支場醸造蔵) is a two-story reinforced concrete sake brewing building completed in 1929 in Saijo Kamiichicho, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 1, 2016.
This is where the prefectural research station actually brewed. It stands east of the main building and south of Kamoizumi's own storehouse, its long axis running east to west, with a lean-to Geya projecting on the south side. At 396 square meters under a tiled roof, it is the largest of the five registered structures. Kamoizumi calls it Izumikan.
Higashihiroshima City's Historic Site page dates it to 1928; the national database gives 1929, which we follow here.
Why the Brewing Storehouse Was Registered
The Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse was registered on August 1, 2016, number 34-0189, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs counts it among the oldest reinforced concrete brewing facilities in Saijo. Most of the town's breweries were built as earthen-walled storehouses finished in white plaster. The prefecture chose concrete for its brewhouse early on.
Fermentation depends on steady temperatures and clean conditions, so a fire-resistant building with thick walls that dampen temperature swings made sense for a research brewery. You could argue the station was testing how to build a brewery as well as how to brew.
What to Look For
The key to the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse is its roof frame. Steel angle sections, bars with an L-shaped cross-section, are assembled into King post truss frames, the triangular system in which a central post is held by diagonal struts. It is a Western timber roof design translated into steel, and it spans a wide interior with few columns.
From outside, the interest lies in the combination. The roof is clad in clay tiles that fit Saijo's streetscape of traditional breweries, while the walls are concrete rather than earth. It looks like a compromise between the familiar brewery image and a new way of building.
Look, too, at how the south lean-to lines up with the chimney standing just beyond it. The chimney belonged to this brewhouse, and seeing them together shows that the heat source for brewing sat right beside the building.
Visiting the Brewing Storehouse
The interior of the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse is not regularly open. Kamoizumi's website lists no public access to it, and Higashihiroshima City notes that parts of the former station are closed to visitors.
You can see the exterior from the compound on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays when the Shusenkan café in the main building is open. Because the building is long, a diagonal view from the southwest shows its full length best.
No photography policy is published. The compound is also a working brewery's premises, so follow signs and staff directions about where you may walk.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse
- [ Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial ]
Q&A
- Can you go inside the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse?
- The interior is not regularly open. The exterior can be seen from the compound on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays when the Shusenkan café is open.
- When was the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1929; Higashihiroshima City gives 1928.
- How is the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse constructed?
- It is a two-story reinforced concrete building with a tiled roof carried on king post trusses made of steel angle sections.
- When was the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 1, 2016, under registration number 34-0189.
- Why is the Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse considered important?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs counts it among the oldest reinforced concrete brewing facilities in Saijo.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 957 Saijo Kamiichicho, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 1, 2016 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 396 square meters (2-story reinforced concrete) |
| Owner | Kamoizumi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior visible from the compound |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hiroshima Prefecture Saijo Sake Brewing Branch Brewing Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011196
- Higashihiroshima City: Former Hiroshima Prefectural Brewing Experiment Station (Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashihiroshima.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoikuiinkaishogaigakushu/3/11/bunkazai/town/saijo/sakaguragun/39658.html
- Higashihiroshima City: Historic Site Saijo Sakagura-gun (Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashihiroshima.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoikuiinkaishogaigakushu/3/11/bunkazai/town/saijo/sakaguragun/index.html
- Higashihiroshima Tourism (Higashiru): Kamoizumi Sake Brewery (Japanese)
- https://higashihiroshima-kanko.jp/spot/kamoizumi/
Last verified: 2026.09.24
