A 1908 Brick Chimney at the Center of the Works
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney (小豆島馬越醤油煙突, Shōdoshima Umagoe Shōyu Entotsu) is a brick chimney of 1908 at Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce in Umagoe, Tonosho-cho, Shozu District, Kagawa Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 18, 2003. It stands 15 meters tall.
It rises near the middle of the lot, just north of the processing hall. Of the five structures listed that day, the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney is the only one the Agency classes as a structure rather than a building, and it is counted as 1 unit instead of 1 building.
A Square Stack in English Bond
The chimney is square in plan and laid in English bond, in which courses showing only the long sides of the bricks alternate with courses showing only their short ends. The result is a faint horizontal banding as the joint pattern changes from one course to the next.
Near the top, two tiers of projecting cornice bands ring the stack, and between them the brewery's trade mark is displayed. The cornices cast two lines of shadow around the crown. According to the brewery's website, its trademark has been Yamaha since the business began.
A Landmark That Ties the Works Together
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney was registered as number 37-0155 for contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its 15-meter height makes it stand out in the surrounding view, and that together with the processing hall it creates the look of a modern brewing works.
The other four listed structures are all single-storey buildings with long, low roofs running east to west, so the chimney is the only vertical line on the site. Built twenty years after the 1888 processing hall, it laid the outline of a modern factory over the row of Edo storehouses.
Seeing the Chimney
The Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney stands inside a working brewery, so you cannot walk up to it, and no published offer of visits could be found.
Its height makes that less of a problem: it is easy to see from outside the property. The two cornice tiers and the trade mark read better from some distance, where the whole stack fits in view, than from directly below. The banding of the brickwork shows most clearly in the low, raking light of early morning and late afternoon. Keep to the public road.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- When was the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney built?
- In 1908, twenty years after the 1888 processing hall.
- How tall is the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney and how is it built?
- It is 15 meters tall, square in plan, and built of brick laid in English bond.
- What is at the top of the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney?
- Two tiers of cornice bands, with the brewery's trade mark displayed between them.
- Can I see the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney up close?
- No. It is inside the brewery grounds, but its height means it is easy to see from outside the property.
- Why is the Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on March 18, 2003 for contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. Its registration number is 37-0155.
Basic Information
| Name | Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney (小豆島馬越醤油煙突) |
|---|---|
| Location | 161 Maehama-ko, Umagoe, Tonosho-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 37-0155 |
| Year Designated | Registered March 18, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 unit |
| Dimensions | Brick, square plan, 15 meters high |
| Owner | Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Limited Partnership |
| Public Access | Inside the brewery grounds, no close access; visible from outside the property |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003328
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce Chimney (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/139098
- Yamaha Shokuhin / Shodoshima Umagoe Soy Sauce official website (Japanese)
- https://www.yamaha.org/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
