The House of a Sake Brewery's Founder
The Former Hirasawa Family Residence (Shoraikaku) (旧平澤家住宅（松籟閣）) is the house of a sake-brewing family of the early Showa period in Asahi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on August 17, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a main block with reception, mother's, bedroom and kitchen wings, designated together with a front gate and a stone wall; designation number 2680.
Japanese and Western Wings Side by Side
The Former Hirasawa Family Residence, known as Shoraikaku, presents a main block of many layered roofs, led by a hip-and-gable formal entrance at the centre, with a Japanese-style wing for the founder's mother on the left and a Western-style reception wing on the right, a weighty and varied front (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual text, it was the home of Hirasawa Yonosuke, founder of the Asahi-Shuzo sake brewery, completed in 1934; it was moved intact to its present site to make room for the company's expansion, and after heavy damage in an earthquake in 2004 it was restored with the company's support.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency notes how skilfully it absorbs the currents of modern house design while achieving great beauty, and values it highly as a fine early Showa house built by the founding family of sake brewing, a key industry of modern Niigata.
Fine Woods, Lattice and an Art Deco Bedroom
Inside, the formal rooms use a wealth of choice woods and are decorated with delicate latticework, carved transoms and lacquer with gold, while the Western bedroom is finished elegantly in Art Deco (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
Look for the choice woods, lattice and carved transoms of the formal rooms and the Art Deco bedroom (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Japan Tourism Agency notes a bell-shaped window by the formal entrance decorated with pine needles, after the name of the house.
Visiting
It is owned by Asahi-Shuzo (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Niigata tourism site, it is open free of charge from April to November on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (closed on public holidays) from 11:00 to 15:00, and closed from December to March; guided openings are held at weekends and holidays in Golden Week and during the autumn maple festival. It is about 15 minutes on foot from Raikoji Station on the JR Shin'etsu Line.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In the early Showa period; it was completed by 1934.
- Whose house was it?
- That of the founder of the Asahi-Shuzo sake brewery.
- What should I look for inside?
- Fine woods and lattice in the formal rooms and an Art Deco bedroom.
- Can I visit?
- Yes, free, on four weekdays a week from April to November, 11:00-15:00.
- When was the Former Hirasawa Family Residence (Shoraikaku) designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On August 17, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hirasawa Family Residence (Shoraikaku) (旧平澤家住宅（松籟閣）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 980-1 Asahi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2018/08/17 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with a gate and a stone wall) |
| Dimensions | Main block with reception, mother's, bedroom and kitchen wings |
| Owner | Asahi-Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | April-November (months 4-11), Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 11:00-15:00, free (Niigata tourism site) |
References
- Former Hirasawa Family Residence (Shoraikaku) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00005129
- Shoraikaku (Niigata Prefecture tourism site, Japanese)
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/spot/44306
- Shoraikaku, Former Hirasawa Family Residence (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/R5-00065.html
Last verified: 2026.10.21