Kamebishi Warehouse
At the northwest corner of the site, running east-west north of the main house, stands the Kamebishi warehouse. It is a two-story earthen storehouse, about 8 by 5 meters, gabled and tiled, set on granite footings with namako-kabe lower walls. High on the west gable is the three-oak-leaf crest of the founding Okada family.
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.
Built on stacked granite footings, this two-story dozo has namako-kabe below and plastered walls above. On the east gable side a four-meter kuramae forecourt served for entering the store and moving goods. The gabled roof is tiled in formal hongawara, and though small the building is stoutly made.
Why It Matters
The three-oak-leaf crest on the upper west gable ties this store to Kamebishi's lineage. The Okada family founded the brewery when Iemon began it in 1753, and the house has since passed through eighteen generations. A crest-bearing storehouse marks that history within the site itself.
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.
Look up at the west gable to find the three-oak-leaf crest picked out in white plaster. Granite footings, a namako-kabe base and a family crest together give a small store the standing of a brewing house. The forecourt on the east side is a further clue to how such a storehouse was used.
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.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kamebishi Storehouse
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- What is the Kamebishi 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, with early-Showa additions and served as an earthen storehouse bearing the founding family's crest.
- 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 Warehouse (かめびし蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2174 Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), No. 37-0159 |
| Registered | Registered 19 September 2003 |
| Criterion | Contributing to the historic landscape of the nation |
| Date | late Meiji, with early-Showa additions |
| Structure | two-story earthen-and-timber structure, tiled roof, building area 55 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/101/00003602
- 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