A Long Barn on the East Street
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn (石川酒造納屋, Ishikawa Shuzō Naya) is a utility building at a sake brewery in Sakuramachi, Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, built in the mid Meiji period (1883 to 1897) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on March 29, 2013. Its registration number is 24-0137.
It stands on the east side of the property, north of the Former Rice Storehouse. The Barn is a two-storey timber building with a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantiled roof, 13.6 metres by 4.5 metres and 94 square metres in area. It is about three times as long as it is deep, with a small room projecting on the west and a lean-to (Geya) on the north.
A naya is where tools, materials and everyday supplies were kept. The official record does not say what the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn held, but its place at the end of the rice-handling row suggests brewing equipment and supplies.
Why It Was Registered
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out one thing: together with the Former Rice Mill and Former Rice Storehouse, it carries a continuous band of high weatherboarding (Shitami-itabari) along the street.
From south to north the mill, the rice store and the barn stand in a single line. They differ in structure and size, yet because the base boarding matches in height and colour, from the road they read almost as one long wall. The Barn anchors the north end and is the longest of the three.
On its own it has no special design features. It is on the register because the streetscape would be incomplete without it, which is very much the thinking behind Japan's registration system.
What to Look For
To see the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn properly, walk the street from south to north. The boarded base that starts at the rice mill runs at one height past the rice store and ends with the long two-storey wall of the barn.
Because the Barn has two full storeys, its roof rises a step above the single-storey rice store, and there is more wall above the dark boarding. The contrast between the black base and the upper wall is sharper here than on the other two.
The projecting room on the west and the lean-to on the north face the interior of the grounds and are hard to see from the road. The difference between the plain east front and the more irregular inner side hints at a building added to as the work required.
Visiting the Barn
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn stands along the street on the east side, so its exterior can be seen from outside the property. The interior is closed.
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 Barn
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- What was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn used for?
- Most likely for storing tools and brewing supplies. The official record does not state a specific use.
- When was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn built?
- It dates from the mid Meiji period, between 1883 and 1897.
- How big is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn?
- It is a two-storey timber building 13.6 metres by 4.5 metres, with a building area of 94 square metres.
- Why was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn registered?
- Because, with the rice mill and rice store, it forms a continuous boarded street wall that defines the brewery's streetscape.
- Can I see the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn from outside?
- Yes. It stands along the street on the east side. The interior is not open.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery Barn |
|---|---|
| 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 | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 94 square metres (13.6 metres by 4.5 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 | Exterior only (it stands along the street on the east side and can be seen from outside; the interior is closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 石川酒造納屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009485
- 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
