The Single-Storey Stone Store
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 6 Storehouse (小林酒造六番蔵) is a single-storey 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 single-storey building of stone over a timber frame with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 200 square metres; registration number 01-0086.
At the West End of the Stone Stores
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 6 Storehouse stands west of the No. 5, its ridge running north to south. It is a single-storey building of stone over a timber frame, 13 and a half ken by 5 ken, under a gabled sheet-iron roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Of the three Meiji-era stone stores, it is the only one of a single storey.
The south doorway has a pair of sliding doors and the north one a single sliding door, and each long side has two windows set high under the eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 6 Storehouse for its contribution to the historic landscape, noting the stone laid in a staggered bond and the solid exterior it creates.
It was built in 1900; the brick koji room of 1922 stands to the west, so here again the walls change from stone to brick.
What to Look For
Look for the high windows just under the eaves. Closing the lower walls and letting in light and air high up suggests that the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 6 Storehouse was built to keep its interior temperature steady.
Walk round the ends to compare the pair of sliding doors on the south with the single one on the north (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
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. 6 Storehouse is toward the west of the north row; its low, single-storey form is easy to pick out between two-storey neighbours.
Q&A
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 6 Storehouse built?
- In 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How does the No. 6 Storehouse differ from the other stone stores?
- It is the only single-storey one of the three Meiji-era stone stores.
- What should I look for at the No. 6 Storehouse?
- The high windows under the eaves and the staggered stone courses.
- Can I go inside the No. 6 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. 6 Storehouse registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery No. 6 Storehouse (小林酒造六番蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Single-storey stone over timber frame, sheet-iron roof, 200 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. 6 Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005725
- 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
