The building that ties the compound together
The Passage Building of Kamoizumi Shuzo runs north to south and does exactly what its name suggests: it links the southeast corner of the main house with the north side of the Middle and East Storehouses, while its west edge joins the Fire Storehouse. Built in the Taisho period, between 1912 and 1926, it is an earthen-walled, two-storey structure roofed in tile, covering about 159 square metres.
Today it works as a merchandise store, connecting the storehouses and the main house so that stock can move under cover. The masonry, though, tells an older story: it appears to have been raised first as a brewing storehouse, and it records the shape of the brewery in its founding years.
Why it carries cultural-property status
The building was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 1 August 2016 for its contribution to the historic landscape of Saijo. Its value is partly documentary. Kamoizumi was founded in 1912, and this earthen block dates from that same early stretch, so it helps fix how the young brewery first arranged its buildings.
It also matters as connective tissue. A brewery compound is not a single hall but a cluster of storehouses, work rooms and passages that grew together over decades, and the Passage Building is the joint that holds several of them in one continuous plan.
What to notice on a visit
The Passage Building is part of a working brewery and is not open for interior tours. Seen from the compound, its interest lies in how it knits the other structures together, an easy thing to overlook and worth pausing on once you know its role.
Kamoizumi is remembered above all as a pioneer of postwar junmai sake, and its amber-tinted brews can be sampled at the shop or the nearby Shusenkan cafe. The brewery sits at the eastern end of the Saijo Sakagura-dori, about ten minutes on foot from JR Saijo Station.
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Q&A
- What is the Passage Building for?
- It links the main house with the storehouses and now serves as a merchandise store, letting stock move between buildings under cover.
- Was it always a passage?
- The masonry suggests it was first built as a brewing storehouse in the Taisho period, and it reflects the layout of the brewery in its early years.
- Can visitors go inside?
- No. It is part of the working brewery and is not open for interior viewing, though it can be seen within the compound.
- When does it date from?
- The Taisho period, between 1912 and 1926. It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2016.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamoizumi Shuzo Passage Building (Tsuro-to) |
|---|---|
| Location | 944 area, Kamiichi-machi, Saijo, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Registration date | 1 August 2016 (registration no. 34-0183) |
| Count / structure | 1 building; earthen-walled, two storeys, tile roof, floor area approx. 159 m2 |
| Period | Taisho period (1912-1926) |
| 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 Passage Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011190
- 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