What Is the Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well?
The Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well (白牡丹酒造天保蔵井戸, Hakubotan Shuzō Tenpōgura Ido) is a stone well of the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) at Tenpogura in Saijo Honmachi, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017. It lies north of the Tenpogura Brewing Storehouse, behind the main house, and is the oldest of the four registered structures at Tenpogura.
What shows above ground is a hexagonal curb of dressed stone, 66 centimeters on each side and 57 centimeters high, with a registered area of 1.1 square meters. The front stone is carved with the name 天保井, Tenpo-i, "the Tenpo well."
The well is said to have once had a well house over it, but only the curb remains. That sets it apart from the Enpogura well, which still keeps its roofed stone well house.
Why Tenpogura Well Was Registered
Tenpogura Well was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, number 34-0240, as a model of design. Among Hakubotan's eight registered structures, only this well and the Tenpogura Rice Mill were listed on that basis. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the well a structure that symbolizes the brewing trade.
Its value lies in the clean geometry of the six-sided stone curb and in the dated inscription. Tenpō is the era name for 1830 to 1844, which falls within the late-Edo date given at registration. It is also the era in which Hakubotan received its brand name from the Takatsukasa family, in 1839.
Hakubotan explains on its website that underground water from Mount Ryuo rises in the brewery wells and that well water is used at every stage, from washing rice to diluting the finished sake. With its inscribed stonework, Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well is also a reminder of how much weight a brewery placed on its wells.
What to Look For
The detail to look for at Tenpogura Well is the Tenpo-i inscription on the front. The characters give both the name of the well and an era name, so a clue to its age is cut into the stone itself.
The curb is 57 centimeters high, putting its rim a little above knee height. With sides of 66 centimeters, a regular hexagon would measure about 1.3 meters from corner to corner. Next to the Enpogura well curb, at 97 centimeters a side, it is noticeably smaller.
With the well house gone, the shape of the dressed-stone curb is fully exposed. At Enpogura the stone well house frames the well; at Tenpogura the six stone faces are the whole design.
Visiting Tenpogura Well
Tenpogura Well sits inside the lot, north of the brewing storehouse and behind the main house. Hakubotan's visitor guide covers the head-office exhibition room and does not include the well, so assume you cannot walk up to it.
Whether it can be seen from outside depends on conditions on the ground. Do not enter the premises or touch the well.
Hakubotan's well water can be tasted in front of the head office, where it is offered as Myoga no Isui. Exhibition room hours and directions from Saijo Station are on the Hakubotan Sake Brewery group page.
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FAQ
- Can I visit the Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well?
- It is not part of the company's visitor guide. The well lies behind the main house, so assume you cannot approach it.
- How old is Tenpogura Well?
- It dates from the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) and is the oldest of the four registered structures at Tenpogura.
- What does the Tenpo-i inscription on Tenpogura Well mean?
- It is the name carved on the front of the curb. Tenpō is the Japanese era name for 1830 to 1844.
- How large is Tenpogura Well?
- The hexagonal stone curb is 66 centimeters on each side and 57 centimeters high, with a registered area of 1.1 square meters.
- When was Tenpogura Well registered as a cultural property?
- On June 28, 2017, as a model of design, under number 34-0240.
Basic Information
| Name | Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well |
|---|---|
| Location | 879 Saijo Honmachi, Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2017 (registered June 28) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Stone, area 1.1 square meters (well curb 66 centimeters per side, 57 centimeters high) |
| Owner | Hakubotan Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not included in the visitor guide (head-office exhibition room is open) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011829
- Hakubotan Sake Brewery Tenpogura Well (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/256465
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Hakubotan Sake Brewery Enpogura Well (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011825
- Our Approach to Brewing (Hakubotan Sake Brewery, Japanese)
- https://www.hakubotan.co.jp/make/
- Origin of the Brand Name (Hakubotan Sake Brewery, Japanese)
- https://www.hakubotan.co.jp/origin/
- Brewery Tours (Hakubotan Sake Brewery, Japanese)
- https://www.hakubotan.co.jp/sakagura/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
