What the Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse is
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse, in Japanese 旧山田本店（ヤマカノ醸造）北蔵 (Kyū-Yamada Honten Kitagura), is a late Meiji era (1898 to 1912) earthen storehouse in Teraike Kokonokamachi, Toyoma-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021. It stands back from the street, just north of the South Storehouse.
It is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a building area of 48 m² and a tiled, gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) running east to west.
Why the North Storehouse was registered
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse was registered as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says that, as a probable late Meiji building, it records how the premises of a merchant family grown prosperous on brewing changed over time.
The lot holds an early Meiji storehouse to the south and early Showa buildings on the street. The North Storehouse fills the gap between them, a middle stage in a compound that kept adding storehouses toward the back as the business grew.
What to look for at the North Storehouse
Every post in the Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse is zelkova, and the posts are set 1 Ken apart, with the ken taken as 6 shaku (about 1.82 m).
The South Storehouse next door makes the point. There the ken is 6 shaku 3 sun (about 1.91 m), and zelkova is used only for the main posts that carry beams, with cedar for the rest. In the North Storehouse the module has shrunk to 6 shaku and the timber is zelkova throughout. A few decades separate the two, and in that time both the family's wealth and its building standard changed.
The lower walls are finished in Namako-kabe. Windows open on the long side of the upper floor, sheltered by eaves carried on double-tiered wooden brackets, a way of supporting a deeper overhang.
Visiting the North Storehouse
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse stands back from the street and no interior access is advertised. The lot is Yamakano Brewery's working head office and factory and cannot be entered freely. If you hope to see it, contact the company in advance (phone 0220-52-2511) and keep to what is permitted.
Given the chance, compare its posts with the South Storehouse and look for the double-bracketed eaves on the upper floor.
Q&A
- When was the Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse built and registered?
- It is thought to date from the late Meiji era (1898 to 1912) and was registered on February 4, 2021.
- How is the Yamada North Storehouse in Toyoma built?
- A 2-storey earthen storehouse of 48 m² with an east-west gabled tiled roof. All its posts are zelkova, set 6 shaku apart.
- How does the Yamada North Storehouse differ from the South Storehouse?
- The South Storehouse uses a 6 shaku 3 sun module with zelkova only for main posts and cedar elsewhere; the North Storehouse uses 6 shaku and zelkova throughout.
- What is special about the eaves of the Yamada North Storehouse?
- The upper-floor windows on the long side are sheltered by eaves carried on double-tiered wooden brackets.
- Can I visit the Yamada North Storehouse?
- It stands back from the street with no advertised public access. Contact Yamakano Brewery in advance if you wish to see it.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse (旧山田本店（ヤマカノ醸造）北蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Teraike Kokonokamachi, Toyoma, Toyoma-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 4 February 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, building area 48 m² |
| Owner | Vital-Net, Inc. |
| Public Access | No interior access advertised (set back from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013482
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: South Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013483
- Yamakano Brewery official website (Japanese)
- https://www.yamakano.co.jp/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
