A Retirement House of the Early Shōwa Era
Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room (森民酒造店離れ座敷, Moritami Shuzōten Hanarezashiki) is a retirement house of around 1935 in Iwadeyama, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 November 2015.
It stands on its own in the northwest corner of the brewery premises, apart from the other buildings. Timber, single storey with part in 2 storeys and a tiled roof, it covers 99 square metres and is registration number 04-0115. It was repaired in 2011.
An inkyoya, or retirement house, was where the previous head of a family lived after handing the business to his heir. Its position, set back from both shop and brewery, says as much.
The Plan
The entrance opens to the north. On the ground floor two eight-mat tatami rooms line the south side, with a living room and kitchen to the north: the formal rooms face the garden, everyday life faces the street.
Upstairs is a single six-mat room with its own tokonoma, a second quiet room above the first.
Downstairs, the west room is the senior one, fitted with an alcove, staggered shelves and a flat shoin window.
A Glazed Veranda
The feature that holds the eye at Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room is the veranda on the garden side. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it uses glass windows generously to make the house open.
Compared with a veranda closed by wooden shutters and paper screens, a glazed one shows the garden even when shut and stays bright in winter. It has an early-Shōwa lightness quite different from the formal Meiji rooms of the Inner Room, and on one plot you can see how the brewer's reception rooms changed with the decades.
Visiting
The Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization describes the Showa Retro Museum on the brewery premises as a two-storey timber house built in 1935, displaying everyday objects of the period. The date and height match the Detached Room, which appears to be the building now used as the museum.
Admission is 300 yen for adults and 200 yen for children, according to the Tohoku organization. The Miyagi Sake Brewers Association gives Saturdays and Sundays as the visiting days. Because details differ between sources, telephone Moritami Sake Brewery on 0229-72-1010 before going.
Ask about photography inside when you arrive. Directions and shop hours are on the Moritami Sake Brewery page.
Q&A
- When was Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room built?
- Around 1935, as a retirement house. It was repaired in 2011.
- How is Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room laid out?
- Two eight-mat rooms and a living room and kitchen downstairs, with a six-mat room with an alcove upstairs. The west room downstairs has an alcove, shelves and a flat shoin window.
- Is Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room the Showa Retro Museum?
- It appears so: the museum is described as a two-storey timber house of 1935, which matches the Detached Room. Confirm with the brewery.
- How can I visit Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room?
- Admission to the Showa Retro Museum is 300 yen for adults and 200 yen for children. Visiting days differ between sources, so call the brewery in advance.
- What is distinctive about the veranda of Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room?
- The garden-side veranda uses glass windows generously, making the house bright and open.
Basic Information
| Name | Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room |
|---|---|
| Location | 15 Kamikawaramachi, Iwadeyama, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2015/11/17 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey with part in 2 storeys; tiled roof; building area 99 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Apparently open as the Showa Retro Museum (confirm in advance) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 森民酒造店離れ座敷
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010719
- Cultural Heritage Online: Moritami Sake Brewery Detached Room
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/213444
- Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization: Showa Retro Museum
- https://www.tohokukanko.jp/sozaishu/detail_1004352.html
- Miyagi Sake Brewers Association: Moritami Shuzoten
- https://miyagisake.jp/kuramoto/moritami/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
