A brick chimney that marks the skyline of Saijo
East of the Middle and East Storehouses rises the brick chimney of Kamoizumi Shuzo, a landmark of the kind that gives the Saijo sake district its distinctive skyline. It is square in section, about 1.6 metres to a side at the base, and stands roughly 17.7 metres tall according to the detailed record of the Agency for Cultural Affairs; the register itself rounds the figure to about 18 metres.
The brickwork follows English bond, the alternating course pattern used in the other brick chimneys of Saijo, and near the top a band of moulding, a jabara, gives the shaft a finished crown. It dates to the Taisho period, between 1912 and 1926.
Why it carries cultural-property status
The chimney was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 1 August 2016 for its contribution to the historic landscape. Chimneys like this once vented the boilers that steamed rice and heated water for brewing, and along the Saijo Sakagura-dori a handful of them still stand above the white walls and red-tiled roofs as the signature of the street.
This one no longer works. Its use has been discontinued, yet it has been kept as a symbolic feature of the townscape, valued now for the shape it cuts against the sky rather than for any function it serves.
What to notice on a visit
The chimney is best appreciated from the street, where its square brick shaft and the moulded band near its top stand out against the sky. Look for the English-bond pattern in the brickwork, the same technique found on the other chimneys along the Sakagura-dori.
Kamoizumi, founded in 1912, is remembered as a pioneer of postwar junmai sake; its amber brews can be sampled at the shop or the Shusenkan cafe nearby. The brewery sits at the eastern end of the Sakagura-dori, about ten minutes on foot from JR Saijo Station, and the chimney makes an easy point to steer by.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kamoizumi Sake Brewery Chimney
- [ Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial ]
Q&A
- How tall is the chimney?
- The detailed record gives a height of about 17.7 metres, with a base roughly 1.6 metres to a side; the register rounds the height to about 18 metres.
- Is it still in use?
- No. Its use has been discontinued, but it has been kept as a symbolic part of the townscape and remains a well-known landmark on the street.
- What is English bond?
- It is a brick-laying pattern that alternates courses of headers and stretchers, the same method used in the other brick chimneys of Saijo.
- Where can I see it?
- It rises east of the storehouses at the eastern end of the Saijo Sakagura-dori, visible from the street, about ten minutes on foot from JR Saijo Station.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamoizumi Shuzo Chimney (Entotsu) |
|---|---|
| Location | 953-3, Kamiichi-machi, Saijo, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registration date | 1 August 2016 (registration no. 34-0186) |
| Count / structure | 1 unit; brick, square section, height approx. 17.7 m (register: approx. 18 m) |
| Period | Taisho period (1912-1926) |
| Owner | Kamoizumi Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Access | About 10 min on foot from JR Saijo Station; visible from the street |
References
- National Database of Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs — Kamoizumi Shuzo Chimney
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011193
- Kamoizumi Shuzo Co., Ltd. official site
- https://www.kamoizumi.co.jp/
- Higashihiroshima Tourism — Kamoizumi Shuzo
- https://higashihiroshima-kanko.jp/spot/kamoizumi/
Last verified: 2026.07.03