A Meiji-Era Stone Store
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 4 Storehouse (小林酒造四番蔵) is a stone sake storehouse on a timber frame of 1900 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 building of stone over a timber frame with a tiled roof and a building area of 263 square metres; registration number 01-0084.
Stone Walls Around a Timber Frame
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 4 Storehouse stands west of the No. 3 Storehouse, its ridge running north to south. It is a two-storey building of stone over a timber frame, 13 and a half ken by 4 and a half ken, with a gabled roof of pantiles and a brick lean-to on the west (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Stone over a timber frame was a common way of building in Meiji-era Hokkaido: a wooden skeleton carries the floors and roof, and stone laid outside it forms the walls. Inside, neither floor has a single post (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 4 Storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape. It notes the stone laid in a staggered bond and the eaves cornice and verge also built in stone, giving a heavy, solid exterior.
Built in 1900, it forms a group of stone stores with the No. 5 and No. 6 from the year the brewery moved to Kuriyama. In a row otherwise of brick, its stone walls show the difference in date.
What to Look For
Look closely at how the stone is laid: each course is offset from the next, and the eaves cornice and the verges at the gable edges are finished in stone too (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Between the brick of the No. 3 Storehouse and the stone of the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 4 Storehouse, the colour and texture change sharply. The brick lean-to on the west side is another place to see stone and brick meet.
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. 4 Storehouse is in the middle of the north row, and its stone walls can be seen from the grounds.
Q&A
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 4 Storehouse built?
- In 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the No. 4 Storehouse built?
- Stone walls laid around a timber frame, two storeys, under a pantiled roof.
- What should I look for at the No. 4 Storehouse?
- The offset stone courses and the stone eaves cornice and verges.
- Can I go inside the No. 4 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. 4 Storehouse registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 4 Storehouse (小林酒造四番蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 stone over timber frame, tiled roof, 263 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. 4 Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005723
- 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
