What Is the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse?
The Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse (井上酒造木造蔵, Inoue Shuzō Mokuzōgura) is a two-storey timber brewing hall built in 1937 at Terada, Ōaza Ōhi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on August 1, 2016.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records that it was first built as a shikomigura, the hall where the sake mash is set to ferment. It has a tiled roof and a building area of 373 square meters, second in size only to the store and main house among the brewery's registered buildings. Its address, 2219-1 Terada and adjoining lots, lies in a different land division from the Dosako plot that holds the main house and the chimney.
A Queen Post Truss with a 16-Meter Single Timber
What makes the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse special is hidden in its roof frame. The Agency notes that the roof is carried on queen post trusses, and that each bottom chord is a single unjointed timber about 16 meters long, allowing the hall to span a wide space without intermediate posts.
The bottom chord is the horizontal member at the base of the truss, tying the tops of the two side walls together. Spanning roughly 16 meters with one piece of wood, rather than splicing shorter lengths, is the feat here. For a brewing hall, a clear floor means freedom to line up vats and tanks wherever the work needs them.
Traditional Japanese storehouses were usually roofed with Wagoya, stacked beams supporting the roof directly. The Agency presents the Inoue Shuzō storehouse as evidence that local carpenters adopted modern Western framing to achieve a large open interior: a 1937 marriage of the truss with an exceptionally long timber, in the hills of Hita.
Half-Hipped Roof and Plastered Walls
From outside, the building keeps the look of a traditional kura. The roof is half-hipped, with only the top of each gable clipped back at an angle. The walls are finished in white Shikkui lime plaster, and the lower part is clad in vertical boarding (Tateita-bari).
The modern truss stays out of sight inside a shell of plaster and boards that sits easily beside the older buildings. The Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country, as part of the brewery scene formed with the store and main house and the chimney registered the same day.
Visiting the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse
The queen post trusses and their 16-meter chords can only be seen from inside the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse. Brewery tours run by reservation, but the company does not say whether tours enter this hall, and some areas may be off limits depending on the season. If the roof structure is what you came for, mention it when you book.
From outside, take in the clipped shape of the gable ends and the rhythm of vertical boards beneath the white walls. This is a working building, so ask about photography when arranging your visit.
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Q&A
- When was the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse built?
- In 1937, originally as a brewing hall for setting the sake mash.
- What is structurally notable about the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse?
- Its roof rests on queen post trusses whose bottom chords are single timbers about 16 meters long, giving a wide interior with few posts.
- What does the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse look like from outside?
- A tiled, half-hipped roof over white plastered walls, with vertical boarding along the lower part.
- When was the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- On August 1, 2016, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, cited as an example of local carpenters adopting modern framing methods.
- Can visitors see inside the Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse?
- Brewery tours are by reservation (telephone 0973-28-2211), but whether they include this hall is not published. Ask when you book.
Basic Information
| Name | Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse (井上酒造木造蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2219-1 Terada, Oaza Ohi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2016 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 373 m² |
| Owner | Inoue Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Brewery tours by reservation; entry to this building to be confirmed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011228
- Cultural Heritage Online: Inoue Sake Brewery Wooden Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/250955
- Oita Prefectural Board of Education: List of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties (PDF)
- https://www.pref.oita.jp/kyoiku/tmp/bunka/post-101/1.pdf
- Inoue Shuzo: Brewery Tours
- https://www.kakunoi.com/tour/index01.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
