Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 at the Corner of the Street
Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 (鳳鳴酒造土蔵一, Hōmei Shuzō Dozō Ichi) is a late Edo-period storehouse 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 in the northwest corner of the Homei brewery site, at the west end of the row of buildings facing the street.
It is a single-storey, earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantiled roof and a building area of 20 square meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, which its database gives as 1830 to 1867.
The Blind Street Wall of Storehouse No. 1
What stands out in the Agency's description of Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 is how few openings it has. The door opens on the east side and there is a window on the south, and that is all. The north wall facing the street has neither door nor window.
The walls are plastered in Shikkui right up under the eaves. On the street side the upper wall is white plaster and the lower part is boarded to a high wainscot, the usual way of protecting the part of a storehouse wall most exposed to dirt and weather while keeping the upper wall bright.
Turning the door inward, away from the street, shows that the storehouse was meant to be used from inside the property. Storehouse No. 1 presents plaster and boards to the town and keeps its comings and goings within the compound, just as the storehouses of castle-town merchants did.
Why Storehouse No. 1 Was Registered
The Agency writes that Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 forms a continuous street front with the main house and Office No. 1, and calls it a good example of a storehouse that shapes the streetscape. It was registered as contributing to the historic landscape.
From east to west along the street come the main house with its low attic storey, the small roof of Office No. 1, and the white gable wall of this storehouse: three buildings of different heights and materials making one frontage. Storehouse No. 1 anchors the west end, and it is because of this storehouse that the row closes neatly at the corner instead of trailing off.
Visiting Storehouse No. 1
Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 is not part of the museum route described on the brewery's website, and the interior is not open. Its north wall and gable can be seen from outside at any time.
Walk west from the shop entrance past Office No. 1 to the corner. Comparing the height of the boarding and the plaster line with the main house wall next door shows how differently two buildings on the same street were finished.
Q&A
- What is Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1?
- It is a late Edo-period storehouse in the northwest corner of the Homei brewery site in Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City. The single-storey, earthen-walled building has a gabled pantiled roof, covers 20 square meters and was registered on September 19, 2003.
- Why was Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs regarded it as a good example of a storehouse forming the streetscape together with the main house and Office No. 1, and registered it as contributing to the historic landscape.
- Where is the door of Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1?
- The door opens to the east, inside the property. The only other opening is a window on the south side, and the north wall facing the street has none.
- How are the walls of Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 finished?
- They are plastered right up to the eaves. On the street side the upper wall is plaster and the lower part is boarded to a high wainscot.
- Can I visit Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1?
- It is not on the museum route and the interior is closed, but the exterior can be seen from the street at any time.
Basic Information
| Name | Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 1 (鳳鳴酒造土蔵一) |
|---|---|
| Location | 48 Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture (listed under Sasayama City in the Agency database) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 28-0129 |
| Year Designated | Registered September 19, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, single storey, tiled roof, building area 20 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior visible from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Homei Shuzo Dozo Ichi
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003577
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Homei Shuzo Shuoku
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003575
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Homei Shuzo Jimushitsu Ichi
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003576
- Homei Shuzo official site: Jokagura and tour route
- https://houmei.wixsite.com/houmeisyuzou/projects-3
Last verified: 2026.09.30
