A Two-Storey Storehouse on the North Edge
Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse (森民酒造店北土蔵, Moritami Shuzōten Kitadozō) is a two-storey clay-walled storehouse of the late Meiji era (1898 to 1912) in Iwadeyama, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 November 2015.
It stands midway along the northern edge of the brewery premises, running east to west between the Detached Room and the Inner Room, with its long side to the street. Built in dozo-zukuri construction, 2 storeys high under a steel-sheet roof, it covers 63 square metres. Its registration number is 04-0118, and it was repaired in 2006.
This was never a brewing building. It served the household as a store.
Grain Below, Belongings Above
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, grain was kept on the ground floor and household goods on the upper floor: heavy sacks at the bottom, things seldom used at the top.
Windows in both gable ends let air through. The roof is steel sheet today but was originally tiled.
A Plaster Band and a Stone Skirt
The walls are finished in shikkui plaster, with a hachimaki under the eaves, a thickened band of plaster carried around the top of the wall to protect the vulnerable eave line from fire.
Around the base runs a skirt of Shiogama stone, which the Agency identifies as a kind of tuff and cites as a regional characteristic. The stone takes its name from Shiogama in Miyagi Prefecture, and its grey surface sets off the white plaster above.
Where the brewing hall shows the scale of the business, Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse shows the typical storehouse of a Miyagi town household.
Visiting
Because Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse faces the street on the north side of the premises, its plaster walls, eave band and stone base can all be seen from the road. Crouch a little to see the texture of the stone.
No interior opening is advertised. The frontage is a public road, so keep clear of traffic when taking photographs.
Directions and shop hours are on the Moritami Sake Brewery page.
Q&A
- When was Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse built?
- In the late Meiji era, between 1898 and 1912. It was repaired in 2006.
- What was Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse used for?
- Grain was stored on the ground floor and household goods on the upper floor.
- What is special about the walls of Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse?
- Plastered walls with a thickened band under the eaves, and a base faced with Shiogama stone, a local tuff.
- Can I see Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse from outside?
- Yes. It faces the street on the north side of the premises. No interior opening is advertised.
- What is the Shiogama stone on Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse?
- A kind of tuff, used to face the base of the walls. The Agency for Cultural Affairs cites it as a regional characteristic.
Basic Information
| Name | Moritami Sake Brewery North Storehouse |
|---|---|
| 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 | Clay-walled storehouse construction, 2 storeys; steel-sheet roofing; building area 63 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street to the north; no interior opening advertised |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 森民酒造店北土蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010722
Last verified: 2026.09.25
