A storehouse that became part of a garden
The Fire Storehouse, or Higura, of Kamoizumi Shuzo joins the west side of the Passage Building. It is an earthen-walled, two-storey structure of about 355 square metres, and it took its present shape by drawing two separate buildings, one to the northeast and one to the southwest, into a single east-west block. The core dates to the late Taisho period, roughly 1919 to 1926, with later reworking around 1955 and again around 1988.
What sets it apart is a second life it was given. After Shigemori Mirei laid out the garden at the New Zashiki, the storehouse was refaced under his direction with namako-kabe, the checkered plaster-and-tile walling named for its resemblance to a sea cucumber's back, so that its long flank would sit well as the backdrop to the garden.
Why it carries cultural-property status
The Fire Storehouse was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 1 August 2016 for its contribution to the historic landscape. It is unusual among brewery buildings in serving two roles at once. It held its place in the daily work of the brewery, and it was also treated as a designed surface, an element in a composed garden space.
That double duty is the reason to notice it. The namako walling was not applied for its own sake but to answer a garden, which ties the storehouse to the reception wing and the landscape as parts of one deliberate scheme rather than a loose collection of sheds.
What to notice on a visit
The Fire Storehouse is a working, private part of the brewery and is not open inside. Its long namako-walled face is best understood as the far side of the New Zashiki garden, so it reads as architecture and as landscape design together.
Kamoizumi, founded in 1912, is known as a pioneer of postwar junmai sake, and its amber-tinted brews can be tasted at the shop or the Shusenkan cafe nearby. The brewery lies at the eastern end of the Saijo Sakagura-dori, about ten minutes on foot from JR Saijo Station.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kamoizumi Sake Brewery Higura
- [ Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial ]
Q&A
- What makes the Fire Storehouse special?
- After the New Zashiki garden was made, the storehouse was refaced with namako-kabe walling under Shigemori Mirei's direction, so it serves both as a brewery building and as the backdrop to the garden.
- What is namako-kabe?
- It is a wall finished with square tiles set in a grid and jointed with raised white plaster, named for a likeness to a sea cucumber's back. It is both weatherproof and decorative.
- Can I go inside?
- No. It is a working, private part of the brewery and is not open for interior viewing.
- How old is it?
- Its core is late Taisho, about 1919 to 1926, with later work around 1955 and 1988. It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamoizumi Shuzo Fire Storehouse (Higura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 944 area, Kamiichi-machi, Saijo, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registration date | 1 August 2016 (registration no. 34-0184) |
| Count / structure | 1 building; earthen-walled, two storeys, tile roof, floor area approx. 355 m2 |
| Period | Late Taisho period (approx. 1919-1926); reworked around 1955 and 1988 |
| Owner | Kamoizumi Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Access | About 10 min on foot from JR Saijo Station; interior not open |
References
- National Database of Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs — Kamoizumi Shuzo Fire Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011191
- 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