The Smallest of the Stone Stores
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 5 Storehouse (小林酒造五番蔵) 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 sheet-iron roof and a building area of 176 square metres; registration number 01-0085.
A Compact Store West of the No. 4
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 5 Storehouse stands west of the No. 4, its ridge running north to south. It is a two-storey building of stone over a timber frame, 12 ken by 5 ken, under a gabled sheet-iron roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). By building area it is the smallest of the registered storehouses.
Each floor has six posts in two rows. There are doorways in both gable ends, and windows on the long sides of the upper floor and in the north gable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 5 Storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape, citing the string course that runs round the walls and the stone laid in a staggered bond.
Built in 1900, it is one of the three Meiji-era stone stores with the No. 4 and No. 6.
What to Look For
Trace the string course, a horizontal band of stone running round the walls partway up (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It sits lower than the cornice of the No. 4 and gives the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 5 Storehouse a neat, compact look.
With doorways facing each other in the north and south gables, it is easy to picture goods being carried straight through the building.
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. 5 Storehouse is between the No. 4 and No. 6 in the north row, and the doorways at both ends can be seen from the grounds.
Q&A
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 5 Storehouse built?
- In 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the No. 5 Storehouse?
- It measures 12 ken by 5 ken with a building area of 176 square metres, the smallest of the registered stores.
- What should I look for at the No. 5 Storehouse?
- The stone string course and the staggered stone courses.
- Can I go inside the No. 5 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. 5 Storehouse registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 5 Storehouse (小林酒造五番蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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, sheet-iron roof, 176 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. 5 Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005724
- 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
