Tanks at the Heart of the Courtyard
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well (石川酒造自噴井戸, Ishikawa Shuzō Jifun Ido) is a set of water tanks at a self-flowing well in a sake brewery in Sakuramachi, Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, built in 1916 (Taishō 5) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on March 29, 2013. Its registration number is 24-0144, and it was enlarged in 1954.
It sits in the middle of the central courtyard. The core is a brick tank; on its north side two concrete tanks and a pump were added later, and the whole covers 7.5 square metres. Three of the 15 registered items are structures rather than buildings, and two of those, this well and the Well House, are about water itself.
Jifun means self-spouting: water that reaches the surface under its own underground pressure, no pump needed. The brewery says its label, Fukii, is named after this flowing water. The spot is the source of both the brewery's water and its best-known name.
Why It Was Registered
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a fitting structure for a brewery, evidence of how freely the groundwater rises here.
Its layout is unusual. A tall cylindrical tank stands at the center, and lower tanks wrap around it in a squared U shape. The likely idea is that water rising from the well fills the high tank first and then spills into the lower ones. The 1916 brick tank is the original; the concrete tanks and pump came in 1954. Two eras of material sit side by side in one small structure.
The Great Brewhouse also dates from 1916. Building a brewhall and upgrading the water system in the same year points to a major overhaul of the brewery's foundations. The brewery says the grounds hold a bored well 200 metres deep that flows on its own, but published sources do not link that well to these tanks.
What to Look For
On the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well, notice the difference in height between the central cylinder and the low tanks around it. The way water moves from high to low is built into the shape.
The joins between materials are worth a look too: red brick beside grey concrete, the boundary between the Taishō work and the Shōwa addition marked by colour.
The structure sits dead center in the courtyard, ringed by the Main House, the Great Brewhouse, the Storehouse and Office and the Well House. Its position shows the whole property organized around the place where the water comes up.
Visiting the Artesian Well
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well is in the middle of the inner courtyard and cannot be seen from outside. It is not open to the public.
Directions and contact details are collected on the Ishikawa Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- What is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well?
- A set of brick and concrete tanks, with a pump, that collect water rising naturally under underground pressure.
- When was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well built?
- It was built in 1916, with two concrete tanks and a pump added in 1954.
- What does the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well look like?
- A tall cylindrical tank in the center, wrapped by lower tanks arranged in a squared U shape.
- Is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well connected to the name of the sake?
- Yes. The brewery says its label Fukii takes its name from this self-flowing water.
- Can I visit the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well?
- No. It sits in the middle of the inner courtyard, is not open to the public and cannot be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery Artesian Well |
|---|---|
| Location | 128 Minamigakiuchi, Sakuramachi, Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture (and adjoining lots) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/3/29 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Brick and concrete, area 7.5 square metres |
| Owner | Ishikawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (it sits in the middle of the inner courtyard and cannot be seen from outside) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 石川酒造自噴井戸
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009492
- Yokkaichi City: Ishikawa Sake Brewery Main House, Great Brewhouse, Artesian Well and 15 structures in all
- https://www.city.yokkaichi.lg.jp/www/contents/1001000002649/index.html
- Ishikawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. official website
- https://e-sakagura.co.jp/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
