A Great Brewing Store, now a Museum
The Sekinoichi Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse and Yeast Starter Room (世嬉の一酒造場旧仕込蔵・酒母室) is a large plastered storehouse roofed with queen-post trusses of 1919 in Tamuracho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 23, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey plastered and timber building with tiled and iron-sheet roofs and a building area of 483 square metres; registration number 03-0024.
A Brewing Store 27 Metres Long
The Sekinoichi brewery stands by the Iwai River, on part of the former quarter of the middle and lower samurai of the Ichinoseki domain (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Sato Tokuzo of Surisawa Village bought the Kumabun brewery and rebuilt it, to designs by his cousin Obara Yusuke, a pupil of Tatsuno Kingo.
The former brewing storehouse, of 1919, stands in the south of the site, a two-storey plastered store with a tiled gable roof running east to west, with a lean-to on the north for the yeast starter room (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a large store, 27 metres by 16 metres, roofed with queen-post trusses.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
The Sake Folk Culture Museum
The former brewing storehouse now houses the Sake Folk Culture Museum, which shows sake-making tools (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The company describes it as a two-storey plastered store, among the largest in Tohoku, remodelled as a museum.
What to Look For
At the former brewing storehouse, look for the great 27-metre plastered store and its queen-post roof trusses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
They are owned by Sekinoichi Shuzo Co., Ltd. (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the company, the Sake Folk Culture Museum in the former brewing storehouse opens from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with admission of 300 yen (200 yen for elementary and junior high school students). The other buildings are in use by the brewery. The 7 buildings are introduced together on the Sekinoichi Sake Brewery page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1919 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is it?
- 27 metres by 16 metres.
- What is the roof frame?
- Queen-post trusses.
- How is it used now?
- As the Sake Folk Culture Museum.
- When was the Sekinoichi Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse and Yeast Starter Room registered?
- On August 23, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Sekinoichi Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse and Yeast Starter Room (世嬉の一酒造場旧仕込蔵・酒母室) |
|---|---|
| Location | 14 Tamuracho, Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/08/23 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey plastered and timber, tiled and iron-sheet roofs, 483 m² |
| Owner | Sekinoichi Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | The museum in the former brewing storehouse is open |
References
- Sekinoichi Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse and Yeast Starter Room (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001226
- Museum and Literature Hall (Sekinoichi Shuzo, in Japanese)
- https://sekinoichi.co.jp/museum/
- Sekinoichi Sake Brewery Former Rice Store and Mill (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001223
Last verified: 2026.10.30
