The First of the Taisho Brick Stores
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse (小林酒造二番蔵) is a two-storey brick sake storehouse of 1921 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).
The Agency records a two-storey brick building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 382 square metres; registration number 01-0082.
At the East End of the North Row
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse stands at the east end of the row of stores along the north of the site, its ridge running north to south. It is a two-storey brick building, 21 ken by 5 and a half ken, under a gabled sheet-iron roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Inside the ground floor, 14 posts stand in two rows; the entrance is on the south side, and windows open only on the upper floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Keeping the lower walls blind suits a store where sake is brewed or kept away from swings in temperature.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape, singling out the gable windows, the dentils and the ridge-end tiles.
Built in 1921, it shows how Taisho-era brick stores were added east of the Meiji stone stores. The No. 3 Storehouse next door dates from the same year.
What to Look For
Stand square to a gable end and you see the window pattern, the dentils at the eaves and the ridge-end tile together (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A blind ground floor with windows only above gives the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse its character even from a distance.
Compare it with the No. 3 Storehouse next door: built in the same year, the two differ in depth and in how their windows are placed.
Visiting
The storehouses are not open year round. The brewery shows their interiors to groups of 10 or more by reservation, and opens them to everyone at its sake festival on the second Saturday and Sunday of April. The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse is at the east end of the north row, and its south entrance can be seen from the grounds.
Q&A
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse built?
- In 1921 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the No. 2 Storehouse?
- At the east end of the row of stores along the north side of the site.
- What should I look for at the No. 2 Storehouse?
- The gable windows, the dentils at the eaves and the ridge-end tiles.
- Can I go inside the No. 2 Storehouse?
- Only on reserved tours for groups of 10 or more, or during the April sake festival (brewery information).
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse (小林酒造二番蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Two-storey brick, sheet-iron roof, 382 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable on the grounds (interior on group tours and at the April sake festival) |
References
- Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 2 Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005721
- 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
