The Middle Brewhouse of Imazato Sake Brewery
The Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura (今里酒造中蔵, Imazato Shuzō Nakagura, "middle brewhouse") is a late Edo-period two-storey timber sake brewhouse in Shukugō, Hasami Town, Nagasaki Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 March 2006.
In the row of brewhouses it stands between the Honkura to the east and the Shingura to the west. The Agency for Cultural Affairs groups it with the Honkura as a brewing building close to the brewery's founding years, and dates it to the late Edo period, a span it gives as 1751 to 1829.
A Brewhouse That Came Through the 1879 Fire
Fire tore through Shukugō in 1879. The Agency's short description of the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura takes the trouble to record that this building did not burn. Nagasaki Prefecture's database says the same of the brewery as a whole: the buildings escaped the fire and survive as brewing architecture that keeps much of its old character.
The Nakagura was registered under number 42-0052 for contributing to the historic landscape. Its value is simple to state. A brewhouse from close to the founding era survived a town fire and still forms part of a working brewery.
A Covered Lane Between Two Brewhouses
The Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura runs parallel to the Honkura on its west side. It is 12 Ken (about 22 metres) long and 4.5 ken (about 8 metres) wide, a two-storey building under a tiled gable roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) with a building area of 319 square metres. It matches the Honkura in length and is 1.5 ken narrower. Where the Honkura has an upper floor only in its central section, the Nakagura is recorded as a full two storeys.
The detail to look for is on the east side. A lane 2 ken (about 3.6 metres) wide separates the Nakagura from the Honkura, and the Nakagura's east roof slope simply carries on down over it. The gap between two brewhouses becomes a covered passage under one roof.
Inside, the Roof frame alternates doubled tie beams with sloping Nobori-bari. The Honkura, by contrast, sets a doubled beam every 2 ken and fills the bays between with sloping beams.
Seeing the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura
The interior of the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura is not open, and both the covered lane and the roof frame lie deep inside the compound, out of view on ordinary days. Even when the grounds open for the annual open house, no announcement has said that visitors may enter the Nakagura, or the lane beside it.
The small product storage building is attached to the Nakagura's south gable, so seen from the south the two-storey annex sits in front of the brewhouse end wall. There is no official guidance on photography; ask on the day.
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Q&A
- When was the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, which it defines as 1751 to 1829, and regards it, with the Honkura, as close to the brewery's founding years. No exact year is given.
- Did the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura survive the 1879 fire?
- Yes. The Agency's description records that it escaped the 1879 fire in Shukugō.
- What is the passage beside the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura?
- A lane 2 ken (about 3.6 metres) wide between the Nakagura and the Honkura, covered by the Nakagura's east roof slope, which is carried down over it.
- How big is the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura?
- It is 12 ken (about 22 metres) long and 4.5 ken (about 8 metres) wide, two storeys under a gable roof, with a building area of 319 square metres.
- Can I go inside the Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura?
- The interior is not open to the public. The grounds open on the annual open-house days, but entry to the Nakagura and the lane beside it has not been announced.
Basic Information
| Name | Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura (今里酒造中蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 596 Shukugo, Hasami-cho, Higashisonogi-gun, Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 319 square metres; 12 ken by 4.5 ken |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (on the premises of Imazato Brewery Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Interior closed to the public (grounds open on the annual open-house days) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Properties Database: 今里酒造中蔵 (Imazato Sake Brewery Nakagura)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005384
- Nagasaki Prefecture Cultural Properties Database: Imazato Shuzo
- https://www.pref.nagasaki.jp/bunkadb/index.php/view/419
- Hasami Town: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
- https://www.town.hasami.lg.jp/kiji0031441/index.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
