About the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse
The Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse (ヤマサン醤油東麹蔵, Higashi Kojigura) is a Taisho-era, single-story earthen-walled (Dozo-zukuri) koji house on the east side of the Yamasan brewery in Umaki, Shodoshima-cho, Kagawa Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2002.
It stands south of the North Soy Sauce Storehouse and east of the three-story brewery, with an open work yard between them. The ridge runs north to south over a length of 15 ken, and the tiled building covers 241 square meters.
Along its west front, at the north and south ends of the yard, are two granite washing areas. Raw materials were washed on one side of the yard and turned into koji on the other, and the arrangement still shows how work moved around that open space.
Why a Koji House Matters
Soy sauce begins with koji: steamed soybeans and roasted wheat inoculated with koji mold, later mixed with brine to make the mash. The quality of the koji shapes the flavor of the finished sauce, so brewers needed rooms where temperature and humidity could be closely controlled. That is what the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse was built for, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it indispensable to the brewing.
It was listed for its contribution to the historic landscape. Where the three-story brewery marks the site with height, this koji house frames the yard with a long, low run of earthen wall.
What to Look For at the Yamasan East Koji Storehouse
Inside, the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse is divided into five koji rooms. Splitting the 15-ken length this way would have let the brewers start batches at different times and tend each room separately.
On the west side a lean-to roof (Geya) one ken deep forms the entrance zone (Tomae). Koji rooms do not like drafts, and this sheltered strip keeps the doors out of the direct wind. Seen from the yard, it casts a long horizontal shadow down the building.
In the north gable are two small windows for regulating the temperature. A thick earthen wall pierced by just two openings is the koji room's balancing act, holding in warmth and moisture while letting some escape, made visible from outside.
Visiting the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse
The Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse stands inside the brewery on the east side of the work yard, so seeing it means joining Yamasan's reserved tour. Shodoshima Town lists "koji rooms" among the tour stops but does not say whether that means this building or the koji room in the gatehouse across the road.
Koji rooms are often closed to visitors for hygiene reasons. Ask when booking whether you can go in or will see the lean-to and the north-gable windows from outside, and ask about photography too.
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Q&A
- What is the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse is a Taisho-era earthen-walled building used for making koji at the Yamasan brewery. It is 15 ken long with a building area of 241 square meters.
- When was the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse registered?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 25, 2002.
- How is the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse laid out inside?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse is divided into five koji rooms, entered from a lean-to on the west side, with two small temperature-control windows in the north gable.
- What are the stone features in front of the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse?
- The granite wells and paving in front of the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse are the Yamasan Soy Sauce Washing Area, also a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, where raw ingredients were washed.
- Can you go inside the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse?
- Visits to the Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse are through Yamasan's reserved tour. Whether the koji rooms can be entered depends on the tour, so check when you book.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 140-2 Ishii-ko, Umaki, Shodoshima-cho, Shozu-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 241 m² (single-story earthen-walled storehouse) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Grounds shown on guided tours by reservation |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Yamasan Soy Sauce East Koji Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002833
- Shodoshima Town: Yamasan Soy Sauce Co., Ltd. (Japanese)
- https://www.town.shodoshima.lg.jp/kanko/miru/sangyo/yamasan.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
