Furusawa Brewery Shop and Main House: The Face on the Street
Facing the street in the center of Ōdōtsu stands the largest building on the Furusawa site, the combined shop and main house. The two-story front dates to about 1913 (Taishō 2), with an extension around 1923 and repairs in 2003. Its ground-floor façade is finished in black lime plaster over a broad wall, the shutter boxes plastered flush with it, which gives the front a heavy, composed presence. This is the face the brewery has long turned to the town.
Why It Is Protected
The main block is hip-roofed and two stories. To the south, a single-story reception wing under an irimoya roof holds the formal tatami rooms, with the entrance set at its north end and inventive detailing carried through the guest rooms, the lavatory, and the bath. Ōdōtsu grew as a brewing town, and a townhouse of this scale speaks to that prosperity. On November 2, 2018, the Agency for Cultural Affairs registered it as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for its place in the historic streetscape.
What to Look For
The name Furusawa Jōzō carries the word for brewing, and the family once made sake, miso, soy sauce, and vinegar here alongside shochu before narrowing to shochu alone.
The shop occupies the street front and stays open through the day. This is where the brewery's labels are sold, from the flagship Yaezakura to aged bottlings and the small souvenir flasks tied to Nichinan. Pause on the street to take in the black-plastered wall and the run of the lattice before you step inside.
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Q&A
- What is the shop and main house?
- It is the street-facing building where Furusawa sells its shochu and where the family has lived and worked. At 245 square meters, it is the largest structure on the site.
- Can I buy shochu here?
- Yes. The shop is open to the public, roughly 8:00 to 17:00 with irregular closures, and stocks the brewery's range including the Yaezakura label.
- What is the black wall made of?
- The ground-floor front is finished in black lime plaster over a broad wall, with the shutter boxes plastered flush. It marks a substantial merchant townhouse.
- Did the brewery make more than shochu?
- The family once produced sake, miso, soy sauce, and vinegar as well, in keeping with the word for brewing in its name, before focusing on shochu.
Basic Information
| Name | Furusawa Brewery Shop and Main House (Furusawa Jōzō Tenpo-ken-shuoku) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4748 Ōdōtsu 4-chōme, Nichinan, Miyazaki (registered); brewery office at Ōdōtsu 4-10-1 |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structures) |
| Registered | November 2, 2018 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Structure | Two-story timber construction, partly single-story, tiled roof, floor area 245 m² |
| Period | circa 1913 (Taishō 2); extended around 1923, repaired 2003 |
| Owner | Furusawa Jōzō Gōmei Kaisha |
| Access | Shop open 8:00–17:00, irregular closures; about 10 min on foot from Ōdōtsu Station |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Furusawa Brewery Shop and Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012667
- Furusawa Jōzō Gōmei Kaisha — official site
- https://nichinan-yaezakura.jp/
- Nichinan City Tourism Association — Furusawa Jōzō
- https://www.kankou-nichinan.jp/tourisms/792/
Last verified: 2026.07.03