The Largest Building, Filling the Southwest Corner
Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse (梅ヶ枝酒造旧仕込蔵, Umegae Shuzō kyū-shikomigura) is a late Edo-period one-story Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse in the southwest corner of the Umegae Sake Brewery compound in Jomacho, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture; altered in the late Meiji period, it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 14, 2002. With a building area of 264 square meters it is the largest of the seven registered buildings.
A shikomigura is where the moromi, the fermenting mash of steamed rice, koji and water, is mixed and left to ferment. It is the heart of sake making, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse a core facility of the brewery. The word former in its name suggests it no longer does that job.
It measures 18 meters along the ridge and 11.9 meters deep, under a gabled Kirizuma-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles running east to west. Its east side meets the former muro.
Extensions and Bracing
A depth of 11.9 meters is the greatest in the group, well beyond the main house's 8 meters. The span would have allowed rows of large fermenting vats under a single roof.
The northwest part of the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse was extended twice. Multiplying 18 by 11.9 gives about 214 square meters for the original block, so roughly 50 square meters of the registered 264 square meters appear to belong to those additions.
Inside, intermediate posts set within the bays and the Wagoya roof frame, a Japanese truss of short posts standing on beams, have been reinforced with diagonal braces. The date of the bracing is not recorded, but the database notes late Meiji alterations, and the structure bears the marks of repeated work to keep the building in service.
What to Look For at the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse
Go to the southern edge of the site. The roofs of the brewing storehouse and the former muro to its east read as one continuous line, and along their south faces runs the lane-like passage the Agency describes as typical of old sake breweries. Standing between long earthen walls makes the scale of the building obvious.
Its position matters too. The biggest shed occupies the far corner, and the muro and bottling plant follow eastward, so the row mirrors the path from raw ingredients to finished, shipped product.
Walk the perimeter and compare the northwest additions with the original block. Seams in the walls and changes in the roof edge sometimes show where each extension begins.
Visiting the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse
The interior of the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse is not advertised as open. Its south face along the passage can be seen when you are on the grounds, for example during a brewery tour, but the surroundings are active work areas, so follow your guide and ask before photographing.
Directions and tour reservation details are on the Umegae Sake Brewery page.
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Q&A
- What is the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse?
- A late Edo earthen-walled shed where sake mash was fermented, altered in the late Meiji period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2002.
- How big is the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse?
- 18 meters by 11.9 meters, with a building area of 264 square meters, the largest of the seven registered buildings.
- What changes has the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse undergone?
- Its northwest part was extended twice, and interior posts and the roof frame were reinforced with braces.
- Where can I see the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse?
- It fills the southwest corner of the site; view it from the passage along its south face, where it joins the former muro. Follow staff directions on the grounds.
- Can I go inside the Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse?
- Its interior is not advertised as open.
Basic Information
| Name | Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse |
|---|---|
| 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 meters by 11.9 meters; building area 264 square meters |
| Owner | Umegae Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior not advertised as open |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Umegae Sake Brewery Former Brewing Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002731
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Umegae Sake Brewery Former Muro
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002730
Last verified: 2026.09.19
