A Two-Storey Hall for Bottling
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House (石川酒造壜詰場, Ishikawa Shuzō Binzumeba) is a brewing 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 24-0141. The character 壜 is an older way of writing bin, bottle.
It stands at the western edge of the property, south of the Pressing House. The Bottling House has two storeys under a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantiled roof, measures 21.8 metres by 10.9 metres and covers 280 square metres, the third largest of the 15 after the Great Brewhouse and the Main House. A lean-to (Geya) at the north end of its east side is covered over by the Steaming House.
As with the Pressing House, the official record describes its construction two ways, clay-walled in the structure field and timber in the explanatory note. The name says what happened here: pressed sake was filled into bottles. The records are silent on when that use began.
Why It Was Registered
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with giving the site the look of a long-established brewery.
The cladding is cleverly split. The lower wall is vertical boarding, the upper wall horizontal overlapping boards (Shitami-itabari). Vertical boards near the ground shed splash water; horizontal laps higher up throw off rain. That seems to be the logic of the change.
Two rows of windows, one per floor, are cut at regular intervals. They brought light and air into the work floors, and their even spacing gives the long wall a steady rhythm. Together with the Pressing House to the north, the Bottling House forms a western row devoted to the final stages, from pressing to filling.
What to Look For
On the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House, find the line where the boarding switches direction. Vertical below, horizontal above, both black, yet the shadows fall differently on each.
The two tiers of evenly spaced windows are the building's signature. They spread daylight across both work floors, and the lines of openings emphasize the length of the wall.
Compare it with the Pressing House next door. That building is boarded horizontally all over; the Bottling House switches to vertical boards at the base. Two neighbouring late Meiji work buildings, two different approaches to the same wall.
Visiting the Bottling House
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House stands at the western edge of the grounds, and 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 Bottling House
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- How do you read the Japanese name of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House?
- Binzumeba, meaning bottling place. The first character is an older form of the word for bottle.
- What was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House used for?
- Filling pressed sake into bottles. Records do not say if that was its original use.
- How big is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House?
- It is a two-storey building 21.8 metres by 10.9 metres, with a building area of 280 square metres.
- What is special about the walls of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House?
- Vertical boarding below and horizontal lapped boarding above, with two tiers of evenly spaced windows.
- Can I visit the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House?
- The interior is closed. Contact the brewery in advance if you hope to enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery Bottling House |
|---|---|
| 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 280 square metres (21.8 metres by 10.9 metres) |
| Owner | Ishikawa Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (it stands at the western edge of the grounds; the interior is closed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 石川酒造壜詰場
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009489
- 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
