Kamebishi No. 10 Warehouse
North of the No. 3 warehouse and east of the former detached parlor, near the middle of the site's eastern edge, the No. 10 warehouse runs east-west. It is a single-story gabled building of about 11.5 by 6.2 meters, tiled in formal hongawara. It stores moromi today, but its high interior suggests it began as a brewing hall.
Kamebishi was founded in Hikita in 1753, when Iemon of the Okada family began brewing soy sauce here. The house has continued through eighteen generations and more than two hundred and seventy years, and it is the last brewery in Japan still making koji by the mushiro-koji method.
Gabled and formally tiled, its exterior matches the other stores, but inside the ceiling is notably high. That lofty space is why it is thought to have served for preparing and fermenting moromi. Dating to the late Edo period, it forms one of the row of stores along the eastern edge.
Why It Matters
Behind a uniform exterior, the height of the interior records its use. A tall brewing hall gave the volume needed to set large vats and prepare mash. Together with its early, late-Edo date, this makes it one of the buildings that compose Kamebishi's brewing history.
In the mushiro-koji method, steamed soybeans and roasted wheat are inoculated with koji mold and spread on mats woven from rush or rice straw, then left to rest for a few days. The mats let surplus moisture escape and hold the koji at an even temperature, work that most brewers long ago handed over to machines.
What to Notice
What sets the compound apart is its color. The main house and storehouses are painted in bengara, a deep red-ochre pigment, and heavy grey tiles crown the walls. The unbroken run of red walls along the street is the defining image of the Hikita townscape.
From outside it is hard to tell apart from the other stores, but this one has a high interior ceiling. If you can see inside, notice how that height carries its history as a brewing hall. Walk the eastern edge and place it among the row of stores running north to south.
The shop, in a historic building on the site, sells Kamebishi soy sauce, moromi mash and soy-based sweets, and pours udon and soft-serve made with its soy sauce. The site is a working brewery and a private company property, so many of the buildings are not open inside; hours and access change with the seasons, and it is best to check before visiting.
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Q&A
- What is the Kamebishi No. 10 Warehouse?
- It is one of eighteen buildings at the Kamebishi soy sauce brewery in Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture, all registered as Tangible Cultural Properties in 2003. This building dates to the late Edo period and served as a moromi store that appears to have begun as a brewing hall.
- What is the mushiro-koji method that Kamebishi keeps?
- It is a way of making koji by spreading inoculated steamed soybeans and roasted wheat on mats woven from rush or rice straw for a few days. The mats regulate moisture and even out the temperature. Kamebishi is the only brewery in Japan that still uses it.
- Can visitors go inside this building?
- This is a working brewery and private company property, and most buildings, including this one, are not open inside. The shop and tea house in other buildings on the site welcome visitors for soy sauce, moromi and udon; hours change with the season, so check before visiting.
- When and why was it designated?
- It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 19 September 2003 under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. The listing recognizes it as part of the historic brewery compound whose red-ochre walls define the Hikita streetscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamebishi No. 10 Warehouse (かめびし十号蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2174 Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), No. 37-0163 |
| Registered | Registered 19 September 2003 |
| Criterion | Contributing to the historic landscape of the nation |
| Date | late Edo period |
| Structure | single-story timber structure, tiled roof, building area 70 m2 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Owner | Kamebishi (limited partnership) |
| Access | Working brewery and private property; most buildings not open inside. Shop and tea house on site; hours vary by season. |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース（文化庁）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003606
- かめびし屋（東かがわ市観光情報サイト）
- https://higashikagawa.net/sightseeing/kamebishiya
- かめびし屋 公式サイト
- https://kamebishi.co.jp/
Last verified: 2026.07.02