A Rice Mill Turned Hall
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill (Sake no Sato Natsukashi Hall) (小林酒造旧精米場（酒の郷なつかしホール）) is a single-storey timber former rice mill of 1953 in Nishiki, Kuriyama Town, Yubari District, Hokkaido, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has been converted into a hall known as Sake no Sato Natsukashi Hall.
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 568 square metres; registration number 01-0079.
A Long Building in the Southwest Corner
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill stands in the southwest corner of the site. It is a single-storey timber building, 45 metres long and 9 metres deep, under a gabled sheet-iron roof, with a lean-to 3.6 metres wide along the north side (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Milling polishes away the outer layers of sake rice before brewing. The interior has since been converted into a hall, with the north lean-to serving as a corridor (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill for its contribution to the historic landscape, noting board siding over a brick base and gables that show their beams and struts.
Built in 1953, it is the newest of the thirteen registered buildings, yet it repeats the design of the former beer and canning warehouse of 1920.
What to Look For
Walk its 45-metre length first. At 568 square metres it has the largest building area of the thirteen (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The beams and struts in the gables, the brick base and the board siding are best seen side by side with the former beer and canning warehouse. The brewery's history records that Natsukashi Hall was completed in 1999 and opened with a concert in the brewery.
Visiting
The exterior of the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill can be seen from the grounds. No official information was found on public access to the hall inside.
Q&A
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill built?
- In 1953, the newest of the thirteen registered buildings (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the former rice mill?
- 45 metres long and 9 metres deep, with a building area of 568 square metres.
- What is Sake no Sato Natsukashi Hall?
- The hall created inside the former rice mill, completed in 1999 according to the brewery.
- Can I go inside the former rice mill?
- The exterior can be seen from the grounds; no official information on access to the hall was found.
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill (Sake no Sato Natsukashi Hall) registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill (Sake no Sato Natsukashi Hall) (小林酒造旧精米場（酒の郷なつかしホール）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-109 Nishiki, Kuriyama Town, Yubari District, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, sheet-iron roof, 568 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable on the grounds (no confirmed information on interior access) |
References
- Kobayashi Sake Brewery Former Rice Mill (Sake no Sato Natsukashi Hall) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005718
- Registered Cultural Properties in Hokkaido (Hokkaido Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.dokyoi.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/hk/bnh/bun-hogo-tourokuitiran.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19
