A gatehouse that rises between the storehouses
The Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate (旧木村酒造場裏門, Kyū Kimura Shuzōjō Uramon) is a late Meiji-period (1898–1912) 2-storey timber gatehouse in Takeda, Wadayama-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 November 2015. It stands on the west side of the brewery between the Sake Press Storehouse and the Storage Facility, with a gateway on the ground floor and, upstairs, the rooms where the master brewer (tōji) and his crew slept and rested.
This is not a gate in the sense of two posts and a roof. It is a proper building with a gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles and a building area of 57 square metres. The southern half of the ground floor forms the passage; the rest, and the whole upper floor, was living space.
The national database notes a renovation in 2013.
Why it was listed
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate a gate of symbolic presence. Its neighbours on either side are long, single-storey earthen storehouses, and the gatehouse alone lifts its ridge above them. Along the brewery's long rear wall of storehouses, it is the landmark.
Its other value lies in how it was used. In the winter brewing season a team of workers (kurabito) under the tōji moved into the brewery and lived on site. The upper floor of the Back Gate is where they slept and took their breaks. Storehouse, gateway and workers' quarters overlap in one building, which the Agency cites as conveying how a brewery of the time actually worked.
It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape.
What to look for
Start by comparing roof heights. The ridge of the Back Gate sits above those of the press storehouse and the storage hall, so that seen along the line of buildings, the roof lifts at the gate and marks its position from a distance.
The ground-floor gateway closes with board doors and opens as a passage between the inside and outside of the compound. Small roofs project front and back to keep people and loads dry as they pass through. If you imagine equipment and supplies moving through here, at the back, rather than past the shop on the street, the placing of the gate makes sense.
When you look up at the upper floor, remember that it was a place for people, not storage. Through the winter the crew made koji, pressed mash and tended maturing sake in the buildings on either side, then climbed the stairs here to rest. Their beds were a few steps from their work.
If the Shop and Main House is the face the family showed the street, the Back Gate is the face of the people who made the sake.
Visiting
The Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate stands on the west edge of the lot and cannot be seen from the street, which is screened by the main house and other buildings. The compound is run as a hotel, with no public opening days or interior tours, and the operator does not say how the gateway is used today.
You can see the exterior when you enter the compound as a hotel guest or restaurant diner. Let the staff know if you want to take photographs inside the compound.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate
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Q&A
- What kind of building is the Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate?
- A 2-storey timber gatehouse with a gabled tiled roof. The southern half of the ground floor is a gateway with board doors; the upper floor housed the master brewer and his crew during the brewing season.
- Where is the Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate?
- On the west side of the brewery compound, between the Sake Press Storehouse and the Storage Facility. Its ridge rises higher than both neighbours.
- Can I visit the Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate?
- It is on the west edge of the lot, not visible from the street, inside a compound run as a hotel. There are no public opening days or interior tours; guests and restaurant diners can see the exterior.
- When was the Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate registered?
- On 17 November 2015. It was built in the late Meiji period (1898–1912) and renovated in 2013.
- How big is the Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate?
- It is a 2-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 57 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate |
|---|---|
| Location | 363 Kamimachi Nishigawa, Takeda, Wadayama-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2015/11/17 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 57 square metres |
| Owner | Asago City |
| Public Access | Inside the compound, not visible from the street; not open to the public |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Former Kimura Brewery Back Gate
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010870
- National Cultural Properties Database: Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010868
- National Cultural Properties Database: Former Kimura Brewery Storage Facility
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010869
Last verified: 2026.10.01
