Kamebishi No. 5 Warehouse
At the northeast corner of the western plot, abutting the pressing house to the north and running east-west, stands the No. 5 warehouse. It is a gabled moromi store of about 13.6 by 6 meters in formal hongawara tile, its street-facing east gable and north wall rendered in mortar and painted red ochre.
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.
A gabled, formally tiled moromi store about 13.6 meters long, it stands against the north of the pressing house, occupying part of the western plot. Its street-facing east gable and north wall are mortared and finished in red ochre, carrying the same palette as the dozo stores of the eastern plot across to the western one.
Why It Matters
By painting the street-facing walls in the red ochre used on the eastern plot's main house and stores, the western plot is brought into a single scene spanning both sides of the road. This continuity of color is central to the Kamebishi streetscape, and the No. 5 warehouse is one of its bearers on the western side.
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 the red ochre on the street-facing east gable and north wall. Painting the mortar walls red makes the two plots, split by the road, read as one through shared color. Walking the western plot, compare the palette with the scene before the main house on the eastern plot to see the aim of unity.
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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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kamebishi No. 5 Storehouse
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Q&A
- What is the Kamebishi No. 5 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 moromi store carrying the red-ochre palette to the western plot.
- 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.
- Where is this building, and how does it relate to the rest of Kamebishi?
- It stands on the western plot at 2132 Hikita, across the road from the main compound at 2174. The brewery is split into two plots by the road, with preparation and koji-making concentrated on the eastern side and much of the moromi storage and pressing on the western side.
- 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. 5 Warehouse (かめびし五号蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2132 Hikita, Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), No. 37-0171 |
| 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 82 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/101/00003614
- 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