The Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery
The Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery (井上家住宅酒蔵, Inoue-ke Jūtaku Sakagura) is a large earthen-walled storehouse built in 1847, standing east of the gate on the Inoue family estate in Tsurugawachi-machi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 31 January 2003.
The Inoue family brewed sake alongside farming and forestry, and this building is the surviving trace of that trade. The national database records a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri structure with a tiled roof and a building area of 108 square metres. Of the eight registered structures, only the storehouse at the southeast corner is older.
How the Sake Brewery Is Built
The Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery has a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. Its walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster above a dado of Namako-kabe tile cladding. Two doorways open on the north side, facing into the estate, and according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs the eastern half served as a store for utensils and equipment.
Inside, the floors are boarded, and the roof frame is unusually orderly: horizontal beams alternate with sloping rafter-beams at intervals of one ken, about 1.8 metres. The Agency singles this out in its description.
The building was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Its long plastered wall, running east from the gate, forms much of the estate's southern face.
What to Look For
The namako dado is the detail to watch for on the Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery: flat tiles set in a grid, their joints raised in white plaster. The storehouse joined to its east end is finished the same way, so the two should read as one continuous wall.
The split between an equipment store in the east half and the rest of the building is characteristic of this brewery; the two north doorways probably correspond to the two sections.
Visiting the Sake Brewery
The Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery stands within a private residence, and there is no published arrangement for viewing the interior or its roof frame.
Its doorways face into the estate, so anything visible from outside will be wall rather than entrance. Directions and etiquette are on the Inoue Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery built?
- In 1847 (Kōka 4). It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 31 January 2003.
- How big is the Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery?
- It is a 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse with a gabled pantile roof and a building area of 108 square metres.
- What is special about the roof frame of the Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery?
- Horizontal beams and sloping rafter-beams alternate at intervals of one ken, about 1.8 metres.
- Can visitors see inside the Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery?
- No. It stands on a private estate, and no interior viewing is offered.
- What was the Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery used for?
- The Inoue family brewed sake, and this was its brewery storehouse. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the eastern half served as a store for utensils and equipment.
Basic Information
| Name | Inoue Family Residence Sake Brewery |
|---|---|
| Location | 4279 Tsurugawachi-machi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/1/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 108 square metres |
| Owner | Not disclosed (not listed in the national database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 井上家住宅酒蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003174
- Hita City: List of Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.hita.oita.jp/soshiki/29/2199.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
