Kamebishi No. 1 Warehouse
At the southwest corner of the site, running north-south south of the main house, stands the No. 1 warehouse. It is a single-story earthen storehouse, about 12 meters by 5 meters, gabled and tiled in formal hongawara, and it once held the soybeans that are the raw material of soy sauce. A service gate opens against its northwest end.
Founded in 1753 by the Okada family, Kamebishi has brewed soy sauce in Hikita for more than two hundred and seventy years. In an age when koji-making was almost entirely mechanized, it alone held to the mushiro-koji method and is now the last brewery in the country to use it.
This gabled, formally tiled single-story dozo runs 12 by 5 meters, its lower walls finished in namako-kabe. Like the main house and the other warehouses it is painted in red ochre, forming a distinctive frontage along the street. A service gate opens at its northwest end as one of the entrances into the compound.
Why It Matters
Soy sauce begins with securing the soybeans, and a store for that grain anchoring a corner of the site shows the practical layout of a brewing household. The namako-kabe lower walls and red-ochre finish are cited as part of the listing, as elements of the Kamebishi street scene.
The heart of Kamebishi's craft is the mushiro-koji method, in which koji is grown on hand-woven mats rather than in machines. The mats draw off excess water and even out the temperature, and the koji that results carries a character the family regards as the source of its flavor.
What to Notice
Kamebishi is known for the deep red of its walls. The family has painted the buildings in bengara, a red-ochre finish, so that a continuous red frontage runs along the street beneath the grey tiles, a scene particular to this brewery.
Looking up from the street, the white lattice of the namako-kabe below contrasts with the red-ochre wall above. Namako-kabe sets tiles in a grid with raised plaster joints, resisting damp and fire and protecting the base of a storehouse. It is worth noting that a plain utility building, a grain store, helps set the color and texture of the whole street.
At the on-site shop you can sample and purchase soy sauce and moromi, and try soy-flavored treats; a small tea house offers udon dishes. As an operating brewery and private property, the compound keeps most buildings closed to visitors, with hours varying by season, so checking in advance is recommended.
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Q&A
- What is the Kamebishi No. 1 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 Meiji period and served as a storehouse for the soybeans used in soy sauce.
- 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. 1 Warehouse (かめびし一号蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2174 Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), No. 37-0160 |
| Registered | Registered 19 September 2003 |
| Criterion | Contributing to the historic landscape of the nation |
| Date | late Meiji period |
| Structure | single-story timber structure, tiled roof, building area 62 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/101/00003603
- 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