The Oldest Thing Still Standing
Set apart at the north of the compound, the First Storehouse is the plainest of the ten registered elements and, in one sense, the most important. It is understood as the oldest surviving structure from the time brewing began on this ground, a two-storey plaster building of about 54 square metres under a gabled pantile roof.
Its lines are simple. The walls are finished in white lime, the base wrapped in iron sheet against wear and weather, and a lean-to on the west side forms the doorway. Each floor holds a single room, with a beam thrown across the centre of the roof space. On the east gable the plaster is worked into the character kichi, meaning good fortune.
Older Than It Looks Here
The building carries two dates, and the pairing tells a small story. Its fabric belongs to the middle Meiji period, between roughly 1883 and 1897, but it was moved to its present position in 1926. So the storehouse is older than the spot it now occupies, a survivor carried across the grounds as the compound was reshaped around it.
That history is why the register lists it for its contribution to the historic landscape. Standing at the north edge, it frames that side of the property and anchors the sequence of later, grander buildings to the working origins of the place. Yoshizawa Nitarō began his medicinal-sake business in 1884, and this storehouse is the closest thing on site to a witness of those first years.
On a Visit
The First Storehouse is best read from outside, where its restraint stands in clear contrast to the coloured plaster of the buildings nearer the house. Look for the iron-clad base and the shaped character on the east gable, both easy to miss on a quick pass.
The grounds are owned by the city of Nagaoka and open on weekends and public holidays. Exteriors can be seen freely; a guided walk sets this quiet building against the showpieces and makes its age easier to appreciate.
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Q&A
- Why does the storehouse have two different dates?
- Its timber and plaster date from the middle Meiji period, but the building was relocated to its present spot in 1926. It is therefore older than the ground it now stands on.
- What is the character on the east gable?
- The plaster is shaped into kichi, the character for good fortune, a common auspicious mark on storehouses of the region.
- What makes this building significant?
- It is regarded as the oldest surviving structure from when brewing started on this site, which links the whole compound back to its working beginnings.
- Why is the base covered in iron sheet?
- The iron cladding protects the lower plaster walls from moisture and knocks, a practical measure common to working storehouses.
- Can I go inside?
- The interior is not generally part of the open circuit; the building is best appreciated from the grounds, which open on weekends and holidays.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kina Saffron Sake Manufacturing, First Storehouse (旧機那サフラン酒製造本舗一号倉) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2273-1 and others, Settaya 4-chōme, Nagaoka, Niigata |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registered 4 February 2021) |
| Construction | Middle Meiji (1883–1897); relocated 1926 |
| Structure | Two-storey plaster storehouse, pantile roof; building area approx. 54 m² |
| Count | 1 building |
| Owner | City of Nagaoka |
| Access | Exterior open freely on weekends and holidays |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — First Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013526
- City of Nagaoka, Former Kina Saffron Sake Manufacturing
- https://www.city.nagaoka.niigata.jp/kankou/miru/brewing/kina-saffron.html
- Settaya-Miyauchi, Kina Saffron Sake
- https://settaya-miyauchi.jp/kinasaffron/
- Nippon.com, Settaya district of Nagaoka
- https://www.nippon.com/ja/guide-to-japan/gu900174/
Last verified: 2026.07.09