Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2: A Tall Storehouse behind the Main House
Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2 (鳳鳴酒造土蔵二, Hōmei Shuzō Dozō Ni) 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 on the east side of the Homei brewery site, behind the main house.
It is an earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri storehouse of 2 storeys with a gabled pantiled roof, its ridge running north to south, and a building area of 23 square meters. The footprint is small, but it rises two storeys, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out its tall elevation as its defining feature.
The Floating Roof and Tiled Wainscot of Storehouse No. 2
The roof of Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2 is an Okiyane, a separately framed roof set on top of the plastered body of the storehouse. The gap between roof and walls lets air circulate, and in a fire the roof can burn away while the fireproof body survives. The Agency notes that even the purlins of this roof are sealed in plaster.
The lower walls are faced in Namako-kabe: flat tiles fixed to the wall with their joints built up in raised white plaster, forming a diagonal or square grid around the base. It is a practical way of protecting the part of the wall hit by rain splashing off the ground, and it has become the face of the building.
A double door opens toward the west end of the north wall, with a small window above it. That north wall faces the back of the main house, so the Homei Storehouse No. 2 was entered from the family's side of the property.
Why Storehouse No. 2 Was Registered
Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2 was registered as a model of architectural form. The Agency calls it a good example of storehouse architecture, distinguished by its tall elevation.
The contrast with Storehouse No. 1 on the same site is instructive. That one was registered for its part in the street frontage; it is single-storey, plastered to the eaves and boarded at the base. Storehouse No. 2 rises two storeys under a floating roof and has a wainscot of tiled namako walling. Both date from the late Edo period, but for Storehouse No. 2 it is the construction itself that was recognized.
Seeing Storehouse No. 2
Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2 stands inside the property behind the main house. The brewery's museum route leads from the shop through a rice store to the kettle room, but the sources consulted do not say whether that rice store is the registered Storehouse No. 2.
If you catch sight of a two-storey storehouse wall on the way from the main house to the kettle room, look for the tiled grid at its base and the shadow line between roof and wall that marks the floating roof. The sources do not mention photography, so check with the staff.
Q&A
- What is Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2?
- It is a late Edo-period storehouse on the east side of the Homei brewery site in Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, behind the main house. The 2-storey, earthen-walled building has a gabled pantiled roof, covers 23 square meters and was registered on September 19, 2003.
- What are the features of Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2?
- It has a floating roof set on top of the plastered body, with even the purlins sealed in plaster, a tiled namako wainscot, and an unusually tall elevation.
- Why was Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2 registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered it as a model of architectural form, a good example of storehouse building with a tall elevation.
- Where is the door of Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2?
- A double door opens toward the west end of the north wall, facing the back of the main house, with a small window above it.
- Can I see Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2?
- It stands inside the property. The sources do not confirm whether the rice store on the museum route is this building, so check what can be seen on site.
Basic Information
| Name | Homei Sake Brewery Storehouse No. 2 (鳳鳴酒造土蔵二) |
|---|---|
| Location | 46 Gofukumachi, Tamba-Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture (listed under Sasayama City in the Agency database) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 28-0131 |
| Year Designated | Registered September 19, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 23 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Relation to the museum route unconfirmed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Homei Shuzo Dozo Ni
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003579
- 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 Kamaba oyobi Senmaijo
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003580
- Homei Shuzo official site: Jokagura and tour route
- https://houmei.wixsite.com/houmeisyuzou/projects-3
Last verified: 2026.09.30
