The Single-Story Sixth Warehouse
At the western end of the main warehouse row at the Kobayashi Brewery in Kuriyama, Hokkaido, the Sixth Warehouse, or Rokuban-gura, breaks the pattern of its neighbors in one clear way: it has only a single story. The other warehouses rise two floors, but this one keeps to ground level, with a floor area of 200 square meters under a sheet-iron gabled roof. It stands west of the Fifth Warehouse, built in 1900 (Meiji 33) of timber-framed stone using pale Sapporo soft stone.
The building runs north to south, about 24.5 meters along the ridge and roughly nine meters across. Its openings are worth reading closely. On the south side a pair of doors slides open from the center, while the north side has a single sliding door, and high under the eaves on both long walls two windows each are set well above head height. Placing the windows high let light reach the interior while keeping the lower walls solid for storage.
Kobayashi Brewery was founded in Sapporo in 1878 (Meiji 11) and moved to Kuriyama in 1901, drawn by the Yubari River. Its sake bears the name Kita no Nishiki, given by the founder Kobayashi Yonezaburo in the hope of earning renown in the north of Japan.
Why This Building Is a Registered Cultural Property
The Sixth Warehouse was registered as a national Tangible Cultural Property on October 18, 2006. Registration is a distinct category. It is not the designation given to National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties, which marks the most significant works, but a lighter protection for buildings of around fifty years or older that help define the historic look of their surroundings. The standard applied here was that the structure contributes to the country's historic landscape.
It earns its place as one of thirteen storehouses on the grounds registered on the same day in 2006. Built in 1900, it sits within the early stone phase of the brewery's growth, sharing materials and methods with the Fourth and Fifth Warehouses before the shift to brick in the Taisho era. Its single story makes it a useful contrast to the taller buildings beside it, a reminder that the row was assembled piece by piece for varied uses.
The masonry is laid in the staggered coursing that runs through the stone warehouses here, giving the low building the same heavy, grounded presence as its taller relatives, scaled down to one floor.
What to Look For When You Visit
The low profile is the first thing to notice. Seen from the row, the Sixth Warehouse keeps its ridge close to the ground while the others reach higher, and that difference is clearest when you take in several buildings at once. Look at the south wall to find the central double sliding doors, then move to the long sides and lift your gaze to the windows tucked high under the eaves.
Exteriors across the brewery grounds are open to view. The Kita no Nishiki Memorial Hall, in the 1944 former office, holds around five thousand brewing tools and offers a shop and tasting counter. The cellars are opened to groups of ten or more by reservation, and the brewery festival each April is the main chance for individual visitors to step inside the buildings.
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Q&A
- What sets the Sixth Warehouse apart?
- It is the single-story building in a row of mostly two-story warehouses. It has central double sliding doors on the south, a single sliding door on the north, and windows set high under the eaves.
- When and how was it built?
- In 1900 (Meiji 33), using timber-framed stone construction with Sapporo soft stone, covering 200 square meters under a sheet-iron gabled roof.
- Why are the windows placed so high?
- High windows let daylight into the interior while keeping the lower walls unbroken and solid, which suited a building used for storage.
- Can visitors go inside?
- Exteriors are open to view from the grounds. The interior is shown to groups of ten or more by guided tour with advance booking, and during the annual April brewery festival.
- Where is the brewery?
- At 3-109 Nishiki, Kuriyama, Yubari District, Hokkaido, about an hour by car from Sapporo in the Sorachi region.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery Sixth Warehouse (Kobayashi Shuzo Rokuban-gura) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-109 Nishiki, Kuriyama, Yubari District, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); registered October 18, 2006 |
| Registration No. | 01-0086 |
| Built | 1900 (Meiji 33) |
| Structure | Timber-framed stone, single story, sheet-iron gabled roof; floor area 200 square meters; one building |
| Owner | Kobayashi Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Access | Grounds and exteriors open to visitors; cellar interiors by guided tour for groups of 10 or more, reservation required |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Kobayashi Shuzo Rokuban-gura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005725
- Town of Kuriyama Official Website: Kobayashi Brewery and Kita no Nishiki Memorial Hall
- https://www.town.kuriyama.hokkaido.jp/soshiki/53/64.html
- HOKKAIDO LOVE! Official Hokkaido Tourism Site: Kobayashi Brewery Building Group
- https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/spot/detail_12193.html
Last verified: 2026.06.25