A Taishō Warehouse With a Sake Press Inside
Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse (梅ヶ枝酒造貯蔵蔵, Umegae Shuzō chōzōgura) is a two-story storehouse of the Taishō era (1912 to 1925) standing west of the main house and north of the former brewing storehouse in the Umegae Sake Brewery compound in Jomacho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002. It is the only Taishō building among the seven registered.
It measures 18.3 meters by 7.7 meters, with a building area of 141 square meters. The ridge runs east to west under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles, and there is a doorway in each gable end.
Despite the name, storage is only part of its job. At the west end of the ground floor stands a sake press, and that corner works as the funaba, the pressing room where fermented mash is squeezed to separate the sake. The Agency for Cultural Affairs counts the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse among the brewery's core production buildings.
Brick Below, Timber Above
The Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse rests on a brick base that rises to about waist height, with a timber frame built on top. The brick is laid in English bond, English bond, alternating a course of stretchers with a course of headers so that no vertical joint runs straight through. The pattern spread in Japan after the Meiji period and gives a sturdy wall.
The database lists the structure as brick and Dozo-zukuri earthen construction, two stories. Brick near the damp ground and traditional clay walls above is a sensible division of labor.
The brewery's tour page remarks that its storehouse built of brick and earthen walls stays cool in summer and warm in winter, which suits brewing. The page does not say which building it means, but of the seven registered structures this one fits that description best.
What to Look For at the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse
From outside, study the base. At waist height the brick stops and a different material takes over, and that horizontal line is the clearest sign of a Taishō building mixing imported and Japanese methods.
Note the two gable-end doors as well. Access from both ends connects the building to the main house on the east and to the back of the site on the west, which helps explain how pressed sake from the funaba could move through the compound.
The Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse stands directly north of the late Edo brewing storehouse. Two buildings at least half a century apart sit side by side under similar gables, with completely different walls.
Visiting the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse
The Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse is a working production building and cannot be entered freely. Reserved brewery tours do show the production floor, but which rooms you see, including the funaba, depends on the day's work, so ask when you book. Check with your guide before taking photos.
Directions and booking details for tours are on the Umegae Sake Brewery page.
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Q&A
- When was the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse built?
- In the Taishō era (1912 to 1925). It is the only Taishō building among the seven registered in 2002.
- What is the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse used for?
- Its ground floor holds a sake press at the west end, used as the pressing room, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs treats it as a core production building.
- How is the brick laid at the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse?
- A waist-high brick base in English bond carries a timber frame above.
- How large is the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse?
- It is a two-story building of 18.3 meters by 7.7 meters, with a building area of 141 square meters.
- Can I go inside the Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse?
- Not freely. Reserved brewery tours show the production floor, but what you see depends on the work underway.
Basic Information
| Name | Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 317 Jomacho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered February 14, 2002 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 18.3 meters by 7.7 meters; building area 141 square meters |
| Owner | Umegae Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior shown only on reserved brewery tours (areas depend on work schedule) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Umegae Sake Brewery Storage Warehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002732
- Umegae Sake Brewery: Brewery Tours (Japanese)
- https://www.umegae-shuzo.com/kura/index.php
Last verified: 2026.09.19
