Kawatsuru Sake Brewery Kakumeikan (former Bottling Storehouse)
Most of the buildings at Kawatsuru still work in silence; this one fills with sound. Kakumeikan began life as the brewery's bottling storehouse and now serves as a concert hall, its long single-storey interior lending itself to music and gatherings under the original timber roof.
The building dates to the Taisho era, roughly the 1910s to mid-1920s, and stands east to west, southwest of the older Meiji-era storehouse. It is a wooden single-storey structure of about 149 square metres, with a gabled roof of pantile and a plan that is easy to read from outside: a large doorway set in the centre of the north side, and four small square windows, each about three shaku across, opening along the south. Kawatsuru itself was founded in 1891 by Kawahito Seizo beside the Saita River, whose water still runs through the brewing.
A note on the name. Written with the characters for the brewery's crane, Kakumeikan is read not as one might guess from the crane in the company name but as recorded in the official register.
Why It Is Registered
Kakumeikan was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on 21 August 2002, under the criterion for structures that contribute to the historic landscape, with registration number 37-0124. It stands as a principal element of the brewery view along the southern edge of the site.
Its interest lies partly in that role within the compound and partly in its second life. Bottling was once a distinct stage that needed its own space, and when that use passed the building was not left to decay but given over to concerts and events. Adaptive reuse of this kind keeps an industrial building standing by giving it something to do, and it lets visitors experience the volume and light of an old sake store from the inside, which is rare among the working buildings here.
What to Look For
From outside, trace the logic of the openings. The wide central doorway on the north once let carts and crates move through; the four small square windows to the south lit the work without weakening the walls. Even emptied of its old machinery, the building keeps the plan its labour required.
Inside, when an event is on, the reward is the space itself: a single uninterrupted volume beneath the exposed roof structure, with a quality of light and echo that a purpose-built modern hall rarely has. That atmosphere is exactly why the brewery chose to hold concerts here.
Because the hall is used for programmed events rather than kept open, timing matters. Check the brewery's schedule before a visit. On ordinary days the neighbouring Kawatsuru Museum keeps regular weekday hours and is the reliable way to see the site.
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Q&A
- What was Kakumeikan originally?
- It was the brewery's bottling storehouse, built in the Taisho era. It is now used as a concert hall and event space.
- Can I attend an event there?
- The hall opens for concerts and events rather than on fixed daily hours, so check the brewery's schedule in advance. The on-site museum is open on weekdays.
- What are the four small windows for?
- The square windows, each about three shaku across, are set along the south wall to light the interior. A large doorway on the north side handled movement in and out.
- Why is a former factory building a cultural property?
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties include buildings valued for their contribution to a historic landscape. Kakumeikan is one of five Kawatsuru buildings that together form the brewery scene.
Basic Information
| Name | Kawatsuru Sake Brewery Kakumeikan, former Bottling Storehouse (Kawatsuru Shuzo Kakumeikan) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1032-1 Motodai-cho, Kan-onji, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Classification | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registered 21 August 2002; registration no. 37-0124 |
| Built | Taisho era (1912-1925) |
| Structure | Wooden single-storey building, tiled roof, building area approx. 149 sq m; 1 building |
| Owner | Kawatsuru Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Access | Used as a concert and event hall; opens for events. Museum on site open weekdays. |
References
- National Database of Cultural Properties — Kakumeikan (former Bottling Storehouse)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002999
- Kan-onji City — The Kawatsuru Sake Brewery Storehouses
- https://www.city.kanonji.kagawa.jp/soshiki/21/14017.html
- Kawatsuru Sake Brewery — Official Site
- https://kawatsuru.com/
Last verified: 2026.07.10