Kamebishi No. 13 Warehouse
Northwest of the No. 12 warehouse, running east-west toward the eastern part of the northern edge, stands the No. 13 warehouse. It is a single-story gabled building of about 10 by 5 meters, tiled in formal hongawara and carrying a roof monitor. With a namako-kabe base and red-ochre upper walls, it closes off the street scene where the frontage turns north past the main house.
The Kamebishi brewery dates to 1753, started by the Okada family in the port town of Hikita. Passed down over eighteen generations across some two hundred and seventy years, it remains the only maker in Japan to keep the traditional mushiro-koji way of preparing koji.
Gabled and formally tiled, it lifts a monitor above the roof. The lower walls are namako-kabe and the upper walls red ochre, giving it Kamebishi's characteristic palette. The Red Gate abuts its western gable, so that store and gate together round off the northern edge.
Why It Matters
It stands just where the townscape turns north past the main house, at the very end of that stretch. Its namako-kabe and red-ochre finish keep the street continuous, while the pairing with the Red Gate makes a clear edge. In both position and appearance it embodies the listing's concern with contribution to the streetscape.
Mushiro-koji spreads the inoculated mix of steamed soybeans and roasted wheat across straw-and-rush mats for several days. Because the mats regulate moisture and keep the temperature even, the koji stays lively in a way machine-made koji does not. Kamebishi is the only brewery in Japan that still works this way.
What to Notice
The buildings share a striking palette: red-ochre bengara walls beneath grey tiled roofs, painted in recent years across the whole site for a unified effect. This band of red gives the streets of Hikita their distinctive character.
Note how the Red Gate abuts the western gable. The gable of the store receives the gate, and the two buildings form one continuous scene. The roof monitor, the namako-kabe base and the red-ochre walls color the end of the northern street.
Visitors can taste and buy soy sauce at the shop, and the tea house serves udon and moromi soft-serve made with Kamebishi's own soy sauce. Because this is a working brewery on private land, most of the buildings are not open to the public, and opening days shift with the brewing season, so it is wise to confirm ahead.
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Q&A
- What is the Kamebishi No. 13 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 early Showa period and served as a store that closes off the northern streetscape by the Red Gate.
- 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. 13 Warehouse (かめびし十三号蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2174 Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), No. 37-0166 |
| Registered | Registered 19 September 2003 |
| Criterion | Contributing to the historic landscape of the nation |
| Date | early Showa period |
| Structure | single-story timber structure, tiled roof, building area 50 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/101/00003609
- 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