Where the Bonito Is Smoked and Matured
Katsuo no Tenpaku Workshop (かつおの天ぱく作業場) is a dried-bonito workshop of 1951 in Nakiri, Daiocho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 31, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber building of two storeys and partly one, with tiled and sheet-iron roofs and a building area of 148 square metres; registration number 24-0323.
The Smoking Hut and the Mould Room
The Katsuo no Tenpaku Workshop consists of a two-storey smoking hut and a mould room, with a broad roof spanning the gap to the main house to the north and covering the work area (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The curved seaward wall, mortar below and vertical boards above, and the gabled tiled roof give it a look of its own.
The drying kiln has its firebed below ground, with steaming trays stacked above it (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The moulds that live in the closed mould room decide the flavour of the dried bonito. The company's official site says it still makes smoked bonito, Nakiri-bushi, by the traditional tebiyama method.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the workshop, which still shows the stages of making dried bonito, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the curved seaward wall and the kiln with its sunken firebed (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The two buildings are introduced together on the Katsuo no Tenpaku page. According to the company's official site, tours of the smoking hut are by reservation only, at least five days ahead (excluding weekends and holidays); they last one to one and a half hours, starting at 11:00 and 13:00 from October to May and at 10:00 from June to September. Kanko Mie gives the access as a Sanco bus from Ugata Station on the Kintetsu line to Daiozaki Todai, then about 10 minutes on foot.
Q&A
- When was the workshop built?
- In 1951 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What does it consist of?
- A two-storey smoking hut and a mould room under a shared roof.
- What is special about the kiln?
- Its firebed is sunk below ground, with trays stacked above.
- Can I visit?
- Tours of the smoking hut are by reservation only (official site).
- When was Katsuo no Tenpaku Workshop registered?
- On October 31, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Katsuo no Tenpaku Workshop (かつおの天ぱく作業場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 393 Nakiri, Daiocho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/10/31 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey and partly single-storey timber, tiled and sheet-iron roofs, 148 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Smoking hut tours by reservation only (official site) |
References
- Katsuo no Tenpaku Workshop (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014396
- Smoking hut tours (Katsuo no Tenpaku official site, Japanese)
- https://katuobushi.com/?page_id=554
- Katsuo no Tenpaku smoking hut tour (Kanko Mie, Mie Prefecture tourism site, Japanese)
- https://www.kankomie.or.jp/spot/23250
Last verified: 2026.10.21
