Where the koji was grown and the mash pressed
The Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse (旧木村酒造場舟蔵, Kyū Kimura Shuzōjō Funagura) is a late Meiji-period (1898–1912) Dozo-zukuri earthen work building in Takeda, Wadayama-cho, Asago City, Hyogo Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 November 2015. It fills the northern half of the brewery's west side, and once contained a Kojimuro koji room as well as the pressing floor.
The funa in funagura is not a boat. Brewers call the long box in which bags of fermented mash are stacked and squeezed a sakabune, literally a sake boat, and the pressing area takes its name from it. Hence the English name used here, Sake Press Storehouse.
It measures 25 metres by 6.9 metres, with a building area of 173 square metres, and is single-storey with a partial upper floor: the second largest of the brewery's six listings. The national database notes a renovation in 2013.
Why it was listed
The Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse housed the making itself. The Rice Storehouse held the raw material and the Storage Facility held the finished sake; here koji mould was grown on steamed rice, the mash was fermented, and the result was pressed to separate sake from lees. The heart of the process happened in this one building.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs also points to its role in the landscape. The press storehouse turns a long wall toward Kojo-yama, the hill of Takeda Castle, and forms the rear elevation of the compound as seen from the castle side. It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape.
What to look for
The walls are white Shikkui lime plaster above a base of vertical boarding. A single gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles runs the full 25 metres, and that length is the building's main effect.
The east face, turned toward the inside of the compound, carries a row of latticed windows. They brought light and air to the workfloor, and they are the only part of the otherwise closed earthen walls that opens up. Follow the line of windows and you can picture one long working space inside.
The roof frame combines Wagoya, the traditional system of horizontal beams carrying short posts, with Nobori-bari, rafters-cum-beams laid along the slope of the roof. Next door to the south, the Storage Facility uses a Western-style King post truss. Two storehouses of the same period on the same lot, framed in two different ways.
A koji room is an enclosed, insulated chamber that keeps steamed rice warm and humid while the mould spreads through it. No published source says how much of it survives inside after the renovation.
Visiting
The Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse 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. Its windowed east face looks into the compound, which is run as a hotel; there are no public opening days or interior tours.
You can see the exterior when you enter the compound as a hotel guest or restaurant diner. Because guests come and go, let the staff know if you want to take photographs.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse
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Q&A
- What does funagura mean in Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse?
- The funa refers to the sakabune, the box-shaped press used to squeeze sake from fermented mash. The building was a work storehouse for pressing and once had a koji room, not a store for boats.
- How big is the Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse?
- It is an earthen storehouse 25 metres by 6.9 metres, with a building area of 173 square metres, single-storey with a partial 2nd storey.
- Can I visit the Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse?
- It stands on the west edge of the lot and cannot be seen from the street. The compound is a hotel, with no public opening days or interior tours; you can see the exterior as a guest or restaurant diner.
- When was the Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse built?
- It dates from the late Meiji period (1898–1912), was renovated in 2013 and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 November 2015.
- How is the roof of the Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse framed?
- It combines traditional wagoya framing with sloping nobori-bari beams. The neighbouring Storage Facility uses a Western king post truss instead.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kimura Brewery Sake Press Storehouse |
|---|---|
| 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 | Dozo-zukuri storehouse, single storey with a partial 2nd storey, tiled roof, building area 173 square metres (25 metres by 6.9 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 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
