A 94-Metre Brewing Storehouse
The Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse (マルキン醤油第四号発酵蔵) is a soy sauce brewing storehouse of 1908–1909 in Noma, Shodoshima Town, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey earthen-walled building with a tile roof and a building area of 952 square metres; registration number 37-0055.
A 94-Metre Storehouse on the East Side of the Works
The Agency describes the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse as a very long brewing storehouse, about 94 metres along its ridge, standing where it closes off the east side of the works. Its white walls have a ventilation window in every bay.
Morita describes the natural brewing storehouse that holds its Akita cedar vats as a single-storey timber building 95 metres long. That length is close to the No. 4 storehouse, but the Agency records this one as earthen-walled, and official sources do not confirm that the company means this building.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency regards the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse as essential to understanding the landscape of Shodoshima, which prospered from soy sauce brewing from the late Edo period, and registered it as contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
What to Look For
Look for the row of ventilation windows in the white walls of the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse, one in every bay between the posts. The same opening repeats down roughly 94 metres of wall and sets a steady rhythm.
The windows let air move through a storehouse full of fermenting mash, so the building's job shows plainly on its face. Run your eye from one end to the other to feel the length.
Visiting
The Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse is part of a working factory, and no official notice naming it as open inside was found (November 2026). The Shodoshima Tourism Association mentions a gallery stage overlooking the vats in a natural brewing storehouse about three minutes' walk from the museum, but official sources do not say which registered building that is.
Q&A
- When was the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse built?
- In 1908–1909 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How long is the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse?
- About 94 metres along its ridge; it marks the east side of the works (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse look like?
- White walls with a ventilation window in every bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse?
- No official notice naming this building as open inside was found (November 2026).
- When was the Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse registered?
- On October 18, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse (マルキン醤油第四号発酵蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1850 Noma-ko, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/10/18 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled, single-storey, tile roof, building area 952 m², about 94 m long |
| Owner | Marukin Chuyu Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Part of a working factory; no notice of interior access to this building |
References
- Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001956
- Marukin Soy Sauce No. 4 Fermentation Storehouse (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/178176
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Kagawa (Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/kenkyoui/shogaigakushu/bunkazai/culturalassets/culturalassets_16.html
- Marukin brewing methods (Morita Co., Ltd., Japanese)
- https://marukin.moritakk.com/quality/
- Marukin Soy Sauce Museum (Shodoshima Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://shodoshima.or.jp/sightseeing/spot/cms-242/
Last verified: 2026.11.12
