A Concrete Chimney over Makabe
The Murai Jozo Chimney (村井醸造煙突) is a 22-metre chimney that marks the townscape of the early Showa period in Makabecho Makabe, Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on November 8, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a reinforced-concrete chimney 22 metres high; registration number 08-0156.
Reinforced Concrete of the Latest Kind
The Murai family have brewed in the centre of Makabe since around the mid-Edo period (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The chimney, of the early Showa period, stands between the shop and a storehouse; it is 1.45 metres across at the base and 22 metres high.
Built of reinforced concrete, the latest technique of its day, it has an arched flue opening, a lining of firebrick and comb-shaped decoration near the top (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency notes that it is one of the structures that characterise the townscape.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the 22-metre concrete chimney and the comb-shaped decoration near its top (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The owner is not listed in the Agency record. These are buildings of a working brewery, and no official information on visits was found. The shop, side storehouse, stone store and chimney are introduced together on the Murai Jozo page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In the early Showa period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How tall is it?
- 22 metres.
- How is it built?
- Reinforced concrete lined with firebrick.
- What decorates it?
- Comb-shaped trim near the top.
- When was the Murai Jozo Chimney registered?
- On November 8, 2004 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Murai Jozo Chimney (村井醸造煙突) |
|---|---|
| Location | 72 Makabecho Makabe, Sakuragawa City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/11/08 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 22 m high |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Murai Jozo Chimney (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00004326
Last verified: 2026.10.28
