Where the Rice Was Steamed
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House (小林酒造蒸米場) is a brick workshop for steaming sake rice 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 brick building with a sheet-iron roof, a building area of 282 square metres and a chimney; registration number 01-0088.
The Building with the Chimney
The Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House stands west of the No. 1 Storehouse, its ridge running north to south. It is a single-storey brick building, 16 ken by 5 and a half ken, under a gabled sheet-iron roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Steaming is the step that readies rice for koji making and for the mash, and in a working brewery it starts the day. The boilers needed a flue, so a brick chimney rises at the east end of the north gable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House for its contribution to the historic landscape, noting the stone foundation, the pilasters expressed at the four corners and the chimney that gives it the look of a steaming house.
Built in 1900, it belongs to the oldest generation of buildings on the site, with the No. 1 Storehouse and the No. 4 to No. 6 storehouses.
What to Look For
Start with the brick chimney on the north gable. It is the only tall element among the low stores, and it marks the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House from across the site.
At the base of the walls the stone foundation shows, and at the four corners the brick stands proud like pilasters (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The two windows on the north end and those in the gables may also have let the steam escape.
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 Rice Steaming House is just west of the No. 1 Storehouse, and its chimney can be seen from anywhere on the grounds.
Q&A
- What was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House used for?
- Steaming the rice used for sake. A brick chimney rises from its north gable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the rice steaming house built?
- In 1900 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the rice steaming house?
- The brick chimney, the stone foundation and the pilasters at the corners.
- Can I go inside the rice steaming house?
- Only on reserved tours for groups of 10 or more, or during the April sake festival (brewery information).
- When was the Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Sake Brewery Rice Steaming House (小林酒造蒸米場) |
|---|---|
| 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 brick, sheet-iron roof, 282 m², with chimney |
| 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 Rice Steaming House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005727
- 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
