Kamebishi Red Gate
Near the middle of the site's northern edge, abutting the west gable of the No. 13 warehouse, stands the Red Gate. It is a hipped-and-gabled gate in formal hongawara tile, about 4.5 meters wide and 5.7 meters deep, with a north wall attached at its northwest end. Its east side is cut off by the No. 13 warehouse, and it is thought to have been remade from a row gate first built in 1843.
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.
A hipped-and-gabled gate in formal tile, it measures about 4.5 by 5.7 meters, with a north wall continuing at its northwest end. Its east side is cut off by the adjoining No. 13 warehouse, so gate and store abut to form one scene. It began as a row gate of 1843, later remade into the present gate.
Why It Matters
Its predecessor was a row gate of 1843, and remodeling since gave it its present form. Painted in red ochre, from which it is called the Red Gate, it closes off the northern edge together with the No. 13 warehouse. A small structure, a gate, yet it holds a striking place in the Kamebishi streetscape.
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.
The red-ochre paint gives the gate its name. From outside, note how the east side is cut off by the No. 13 warehouse, so that gate and store abut. Recalling that its predecessor was a row gate of 1843, you can sense the layers of time gathered at this corner. (The Agency for Cultural Affairs database also records a 1.8 m frontage in its structured data; here the commentary's 4.5 m hipped-and-gabled description is followed.)
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 Red Gate?
- 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, altered in the early Showa period and served as a hipped-and-gabled gate remade from an 1843 row 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 Red Gate (かめびし赤門) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2174 Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), No. 37-0169 |
| Registered | Registered 19 September 2003 |
| Criterion | Contributing to the historic landscape of the nation |
| Date | late Edo period, altered in the early Showa period |
| Structure | 4.5 m frontage by 5.7 m depth, hipped-and-gabled hongawara roof, with an attached north wall |
| 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/101/00003612
- 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