Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Kagawa

Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed

Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed: A Rhombus-Plan Taisho Work Building

The Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed on Shodoshima is a mid-Taisho work building with a rhombus-shaped plan and a two-tiered roof on its south side. Listed 2003.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Kagawa

About the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed

The Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed (ヤマサン醤油桶場, okeba) is a mid-Taisho single-story timber work building in the northwest corner of the Yamasan brewery in Umaki, Shodoshima-cho, Kagawa Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.

It stands west of the pressing shed, against the west gable of the North Soy Sauce Storehouse, following the northwest edge of the brewery plot. It measures 15 by 6 meters, a building area of 73 square meters, with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantile roof (Sangawara-buki).

The oke in its name are the wooden vats used for mashing and maturing soy sauce. The North Storehouse next door is said to have once held around 100 of them, and this is the building attached to its end that carries their name.

Why the Barrel Shed Was Listed

The Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out one feature: its rhombus-shaped plan. Most work sheds are rectangular; this one has no right-angled corners.

The building runs along the northwest boundary of the plot and also meets the west gable of the storehouse. Squeezed between those two lines, it seems to have been skewed to fit. The shape of the plan records how the brewery filled up a tight site one building at a time.

What to Look For at the Yamasan Barrel Shed

On the south side of the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed, facing into the brewery, a lean-to roof (Geya) extends from the long wall. Because it sits a step below the main gable, the roof appears to break into two tiers, similar to the stepped shikoro-yane style. This is the face the building turns toward the rest of the works.

The rhombus plan shows most clearly at the ends. The gable walls meet the long walls at an angle rather than square, and the roof ends are cut on the skew to match. Stand at a corner and the slant is plain to see.

Look, too, at where the shed meets the North Storehouse. Note how a light timber building leans up against a thick earthen wall, and how the two roofs meet at different heights.

Visiting the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed

The Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed is in the far northwest corner of the brewery, and visits are by Yamasan's reserved tour. Because it is at the back of the site, ask when booking whether the tour route includes it.

The skewed plan is easiest to appreciate at the corners, where the gable walls meet at an angle. Check with the guide about photography.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed; [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]

Q&A

QWhat is the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed?: AThe Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed is a mid-Taisho single-story timber building, 15 by 6 meters with a building area of 73 square meters, in the northwest corner of the Yamasan brewery.

QWhat is unusual about the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed?: AThe Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed has a rhombus-shaped plan. It follows the northwest edge of the site and meets the west gable of the North Soy Sauce Storehouse.

QWhen was the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed registered?: AThe Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on September 19, 2003.

QWhat does the roof of the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed look like?: AThe Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed has a gabled pantile roof with a lean-to on the south side, so from the brewery side the roof appears to step down in two tiers.

QCan visitors see the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed?: AVisits to the Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed are through Yamasan's reserved tour. It is at the back of the site, so ask when booking whether it is on the route.

Basic Information

Name	Yamasan Soy Sauce Barrel Shed
Location	140-2 Ishii-ko, Umaki, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building)
Year Designated	Registered 2003
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 73 m² (single-story timber frame)
Owner	Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database
Public Access	Grounds shown on guided tours by reservation