Pressing Sake and Growing Koji under One Roof
Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room (鳳鳴酒造槽場及び麹室, Hōmei Shuzō Funaba oyobi Kōjishitsu) is a late Edo-period work building of a sake brewery in Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on September 19, 2003. It stands toward the south of the Homei brewery site, attached to the south side of the Brewing Storehouse.
It is a single-storey, earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri building with a pantiled roof and a building area of 127 square meters. One building holds two workrooms of opposite character: the pressing house, where fermented mash was squeezed to separate sake from the lees, and a Kojimuro, the warm room where rice koji was grown.
A Column-Free Pressing Room and a Double-Walled Koji Room
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the pressing house of the Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room as a single large room with an earthen floor and no internal columns. Pressing sake meant setting up the fune, a large box press, and stacking bags of mash inside it under heavy pressure, work that needed a broad floor without posts in the way.
At the south end, by contrast, the koji room is built with double walls. The brewery's museum guide explains that to hold the room at around 35 to 40 degrees, its walls, ceiling and floor were all made double, with rice husks packed between the layers as insulation.
So under a single roof the pressing house is left wide open while the koji room is sealed tight. The different conditions each task required are written directly into the plan of the building.
Why the Pressing House and Koji Room Were Registered
The Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room was registered as contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency calls it a good example of the large buildings a sake business could not do without, and says it conveys the Edo-period face of Sasayama.
The roof spanning 127 square meters of earthen floor without a single column, and the koji room with its insulated double walls, both grew out of the needs of brewing. Of all the Homei buildings, this is the one where the link between the process and the shape of the building is easiest to read.
What to See in the Pressing House
The Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room follows the brewing storehouse on the free Horoyoi Jokagura museum route, which begins in the shop in the main house. The pressing house displays the fune press and the cloth bags used with it, and in the koji room beyond you can judge the thickness of the doubled walls.
The column-free pressing room is also used as the Horoyoi Hall. The brewery says it hosts concerts, storytelling and talks for about 80 people, and houses an early Showa-era grand piano on six legs. A late Edo structure built to clear a wide floor now serves as a room for music.
Check the brewery's announcements for event dates. The sources do not mention photography, so ask the staff.
Q&A
- What is the Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room?
- It is a late Edo-period work building on the Homei brewery site in Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, attached to the south of the Brewing Storehouse. The single-storey, earthen-walled building covers 127 square meters and was registered on September 19, 2003.
- Why does the Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House have no columns?
- Pressing sake in a large box press needed an open floor. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the pressing house as a single earthen-floored room with no internal columns.
- How are the walls of the Homei Sake Brewery Koji Room built?
- They are doubled. According to the brewery, the walls, ceiling and floor were all built double with rice husks packed inside as insulation, keeping the room at around 35 to 40 degrees.
- Why was the Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room registered?
- The Agency registered it as contributing to the historic landscape, a good example of the large buildings essential to sake making that conveys Edo-period Sasayama.
- Can I visit the Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room?
- Yes. It is on the free museum route, with the press, sake bags and koji room on view, and the pressing room also serves as the Horoyoi Hall for concerts and talks.
Basic Information
| Name | Homei Sake Brewery Pressing House and Koji Room (鳳鳴酒造槽場及び麹室) |
|---|---|
| Location | 73-3 Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture (listed under Sasayama City in the Agency database) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 28-0134 |
| Year Designated | Registered September 19, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled building, single storey, tiled roof, building area 127 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Open as part of the museum route (free) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Homei Shuzo Funaba oyobi Kojishitsu
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003582
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Homei Shuzo Shikomigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003581
- Homei Shuzo official site: Jokagura and tour route
- https://houmei.wixsite.com/houmeisyuzou/projects-3
Last verified: 2026.09.30
