The Youngest Building on the Site
Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse (石川酒造北文庫蔵, Ishikawa Shuzō Kita Bunkogura) is a clay-walled storehouse at a sake brewery in Sakuramachi, Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, built in the early Showa period (1926 to 1945) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on March 29, 2013. Its registration number is 24-0134, and it is the most recent of the brewery's 15 listed structures.
It stands northeast of the South Archive Storehouse. The building is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantiled roof, 5.4 metres by 4.7 metres in plan and 39 square metres in area. A single doorway on the east face is sheltered by a lean-to roof (Geya).
It is a size smaller than its southern neighbour. That the family needed a second archive storehouse for ledgers and heirlooms well into the Showa era says the household, and what it had to protect, kept growing.
Why It Was Registered
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, together with the South Archive Storehouse, it reflects the prosperity of the family.
What stands out is that an early Showa storehouse was built exactly the way its late Meiji neighbour was. White plaster (Shikkui) with a thick band under the eaves, a washed-aggregate base (Araidashi) on the east face, overlapping boards (Shitami-itabari) on the other three, and the door facing east.
Building methods usually shift over a few decades. Here the family chose to repeat the older design, almost certainly to keep the western corner of the property consistent, and the pair now reads as a matched set.
What to Look For
The best way to see the Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse is side by side with the South Archive Storehouse. It is smaller in height and depth, yet the wall treatments are identical, so the two look like a parent and child.
The washed-aggregate base on the east face and the band under the eaves are both here. On a smaller building the band takes up more of the wall, so the effect is of a white box crossed by one dark line of shadow.
The lean-to over the east door kept rain off whoever was opening it. Having just one doorway, rather than two, is the small difference from the older storehouse.
Visiting the North Archive Storehouse
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse stands within the western part of the grounds, and the interior is not open. Seeing even the exterior means entering the property, so contact the brewery in advance.
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 North Archive Storehouse
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse built?
- It dates from the early Showa period, between 1926 and 1945, making it the most recent of the brewery's 15 registered structures.
- How does the Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse differ from the South Archive Storehouse?
- It is a size smaller and has one door on the east face instead of two, but the wall finishes follow exactly the same pattern.
- How are the walls of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse finished?
- White plaster with a band under the eaves, a washed-aggregate base on the east face and weatherboarding on the other three sides.
- Can I visit the Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse?
- The interior is closed, and since it stands inside the grounds you need to contact the brewery in advance even to see the exterior.
- How big is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey building 5.4 metres by 4.7 metres, with a building area of 39 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery North Archive Storehouse |
|---|---|
| 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 building |
| Dimensions | Clay-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 39 square metres (5.4 metres by 4.7 metres) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (Yokkaichi City gives the owners of the 15 as Ishikawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. and a private individual) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (it stands inside the western part of the grounds; the interior is closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 石川酒造北文庫蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009482
- 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
Last verified: 2026.09.25
