What the Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South Storehouse is
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South Storehouse, in Japanese 旧山田本店（ヤマカノ醸造）南蔵 (Kyū-Yamada Honten Minamigura), is an early Meiji era (1868 to 1882) earthen storehouse in Teraike Kokonokamachi, Toyoma-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021. The Agency for Cultural Affairs identifies it as the oldest building on the Yamada lot.
It is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a building area of 25 m², set back from the street under a tiled, gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) running east to west. The late Meiji North Storehouse stands beside it.
Why the South Storehouse was registered
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South Storehouse was registered as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. It is where the compound began: proof that the Yamada family already kept storehouses on this spot in the first years of Meiji.
One reason the Agency dates it to early Meiji is the square-shanked nails in the vertical boarding inside. Such cut nails are generally thought to predate the spread of round wire nails, which makes them a useful clue to age.
What to look for at the South Storehouse
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South Storehouse is laid out on a ken (Ken) of 6 shaku 3 sun, about 1.91 m. Zelkova is used only for the main posts that carry beams; the rest are cedar. Beside the all-zelkova North Storehouse, it shows an early Meiji habit of saving the best timber for where it counts.
The walls show care too. The corners rise high, and the band of plaster below the eaves is finished to imitate Namako-kabe. Giving a back-lot storehouse this kind of finish says something about the family's means at the time.
The Agency's photographs include the roof framing on the upper floor.
Visiting the South Storehouse
The Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South 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, look at the raised corners, the eaves band and the difference in posts compared with the North Storehouse.
Q&A
- When was the Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South Storehouse built and registered?
- It dates from the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882) and was registered on February 4, 2021. It is the oldest building on the site.
- How do we know the Yamada South Storehouse is early Meiji?
- The Agency points to square cut nails in the interior boarding, which are generally thought to predate round wire nails.
- How is the Yamada South Storehouse in Toyoma built?
- A 2-storey earthen storehouse of 25 m² with an east-west gabled tiled roof, on a 6 shaku 3 sun module, with zelkova main posts and cedar elsewhere.
- What is notable about the walls of the Yamada South Storehouse?
- The corners are raised high and the band below the eaves is finished to resemble namako-kabe.
- Can I visit the Yamada South 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) South Storehouse (旧山田本店（ヤマカノ醸造）南蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 25 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) South Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013483
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Yamada Main Store (Yamakano Brewery) South Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/541131
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013482
- Yamakano Brewery official website (Japanese)
- https://www.yamakano.co.jp/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
