Storage and the Front Office Under One Roof
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office (石川酒造貯蔵庫及び事務所, Ishikawa Shuzō Chozōko oyobi Jimusho) is a combined storage and office building at a sake brewery in Sakuramachi, Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, built in the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on March 29, 2013. Its registration number is 24-0142, and it was remodeled in 1948.
It stands near the center of the property: a two-storey building with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantiled roof covering 155 square metres. The structure field of the official record says clay-walled; the explanatory note says clay-walled with some timber sections. Read together, it is a Dozo-zukuri storehouse with part of it built in timber.
The name sums it up. One building holds a storehouse where sake rested and an office where the books and orders were kept. Protecting the product and running the trade side by side is typical of a brewery of this size.
Why It Was Registered
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs picks it out for its distinctive exterior.
A lean-to (Geya) runs along the east side with two doorways. The walls are white plaster (Shikkui) above a base of vertical boarding. So far, a standard storehouse. The difference is in front of the office, where tall narrow windows are set into the wall and framed with raised plaster mouldings.
A storehouse wants few windows, to keep out light and hold a steady temperature. An office needs daylight for people at their desks. In one building, that difference in use shows up on the outside wall as windows and decoration on one side and blank plaster on the other. The record does not say which parts date from the 1948 remodeling, but the idea of changing the wall to suit the function is clear.
What to Look For
On the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office, look first at the tall windows in front of the office and their plaster frames. The mouldings stand proud of the white wall and give a storehouse facade a crisp, almost formal look that is hard to label as either Japanese or Western.
Next to them, the storage section is nothing but white wall and boarded base, with hardly an opening. The same building, two completely different characters.
The two east doorways were most likely the separate entrances to storehouse and office. As the central building, it sits where movement between the steaming house, the brewhouse and the main house would have crossed.
Visiting the Storehouse and Office
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office stands near the center of the grounds and can barely be seen from outside. The interior is not open.
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 Storehouse and Office
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- What is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office?
- A single building combining a storehouse for sake with the brewery's business office, standing near the center of the grounds.
- When was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office built?
- It dates from the late Meiji period, between 1898 and 1912, and was remodeled in 1948.
- What stands out on the exterior of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office?
- White plaster walls on a boarded base, with tall windows framed in raised plaster set only in front of the office.
- How big is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office?
- It has two storeys and a building area of 155 square metres.
- Can I visit the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office?
- The interior is closed, and because it stands in the middle of the grounds it can hardly be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery Storehouse and Office |
|---|---|
| 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, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 155 square metres |
| Owner | Ishikawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (it stands near the center of the grounds and is barely visible from outside) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 石川酒造貯蔵庫及び事務所
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009490
- 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
