About the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House
The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House (ヤマサン醤油洋館, yokan) is a small early Showa-era single-story timber house in Western style at the Yamasan brewery in Umaki, Shodoshima-cho, Kagawa Prefecture, moved to its present site in 1959 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.
It stands south of the boiler room and west of the operations shed, its ridge running east to west. A single room measuring 4.4 by 3.2 meters, it covers just 14 square meters, the smallest of the eleven listed Yamasan buildings.
Among the storehouses and work sheds, the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House is the only one listed as a dwelling. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database does not record where it stood before the move or what it was used for.
Why the Western-Style House Was Listed
The other ten Yamasan buildings were listed for their contribution to the historic landscape. The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House alone was listed as a model of design, meaning it was valued for its own form rather than as part of the view.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its Western features: tall, narrow windows and a tall, upright build despite its small size. Squeezing the essentials of an early Showa Western-style house into 14 square meters is what earned it the listing.
What to Look For at the Yamasan Western-Style House
Start with the roof of the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House. It is a half-hipped (jerkinhead) gable, the kind called hakamagoshi in Japanese, with the top of each gable clipped back into a small slope. It is covered in Spanish-style clay tiles, which differ in profile and color from the Japanese pantiles on the brewery buildings around it.
Then look at the tall, narrow windows and the height of the little building relative to its footprint. With so small a plan, the height stands out, and the house reads clearly against the low sheds beside it.
Consider, too, that these Western details survived the move in 1959. Tiles and windows are the kind of parts that are easily replaced, and checking how much of the original design they keep is part of the pleasure of looking at this building.
Visiting the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House
The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House stands inside the brewery, south of the boiler room, and visits are by Yamasan's reserved tour. With only one small room, the exterior is the main attraction: the clipped gables, the Spanish tiles and the tall windows.
Ask when booking whether it is on the tour route, and check with the guide about photography.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- What is the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House is a one-room early Showa-era Western-style timber house, 4.4 by 3.2 meters and 14 square meters in area, moved to the Yamasan brewery site in 1959.
- Why was the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House listed as a cultural property?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House was registered on September 19, 2003, as a model of design, for Western features such as tall, narrow windows and its upright proportions.
- What kind of roof does the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House have?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House has a half-hipped (jerkinhead) gable roof covered in Spanish-style clay tiles.
- Where was the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House before it was moved?
- Records show the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House was moved to its present site in 1959, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs database does not say where it stood before or how it was used.
- Can visitors see the Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House?
- The Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House is inside the brewery grounds, so visits are through Yamasan's reserved tour. Ask when booking whether it is included.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamasan Soy Sauce Western-Style House |
|---|---|
| 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 14 m² (single-story timber frame) |
| 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 Western-Style House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003624
- Shodoshima Town: Yamasan Soy Sauce Co., Ltd. (Japanese)
- https://www.town.shodoshima.lg.jp/kanko/miru/sangyo/yamasan.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
