About the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area
The Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area (備中屋高祖酒造井戸及び洗い場, Bitchūya Kōso Shuzō Ido oyobi Araiba) in Ushimado, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture, is an early Shōwa-period brewing well and washing floor at the founding site of Kouso Shuzo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2007 as a remnant of the sake-making process.
It is registered not as a building but as "1 site": a stone well covering 1.1 square meters and a concrete washing area of 8.8 square meters, treated together as a single structure.
The pair sits near the center of the lot. The Agency for Cultural Affairs places the well east of the pressing storehouse, with the washing area to its north and the brick chimney north again. With the Main House on the street side and the Zashikigura along the west edge, this was the working heart of the brewery.
Why a Well Was Registered
The Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, and the Agency describes it as a remnant that shows the brewing process.
Sake making runs on water. Rice is washed and soaked before steaming, tools are scrubbed through the season, and water goes into every tank. Registering the place where that water was drawn and used, alongside the house and storehouses, means the listing covers how the brewery worked and not only how it looked.
Put the four registered structures side by side and a full brewer's compound appears: a house to live in, a room for guests, water, and fire. The well and washing floor are the water.
How It Is Built
The well of the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area is circular, 1.2 meters across. Its shaft is lined with stacked stone, and the curb above ground is built of cut stone finished with mortar. A circle 1.2 meters in diameter covers about 1.1 square meters, which matches the registered figure.
The washing area is a rectangle 4 meters east-west by 2.2 meters north-south, which gives the 8.8 square meters on record. Its edges are turned up slightly and the whole surface is rendered in mortar.
Hand-laid stone below ground, smooth early Shōwa mortar on top. The two materials sit only a step apart.
Visiting the Well and Washing Area
The Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area lies in the middle of private company land and does not face any road. It is not open to the public, and as of September 25, 2026, no viewing arrangements had been announced.
Please do not enter the grounds. The red chimney standing just to the north is the easiest way to locate it from outside; the well and washing floor are at its southern foot.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- Can visitors see the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area?
- It is not open to the public. It lies in the center of private land, so visitors can only locate it from outside, using the chimney to the north as a marker.
- What was the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area used for?
- It supplied water for brewing and provided a floor for washing. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a remnant that shows the sake-making process.
- How large is the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area?
- The well is 1.2 meters in diameter (1.1 square meters), and the washing area is 4 by 2.2 meters (8.8 square meters).
- When was the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area made?
- The Agency dates it to the early Shōwa period. It was registered in 2007.
- Why is the Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area counted as "1 site"?
- The well and the washing floor are registered together as one structure rather than as buildings.
Basic Information
| Name | Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area |
|---|---|
| Location | 3097-1 Ushimado, Ushimado-cho, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2007 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 site |
| Dimensions | Well 1.2 m diameter, 1.1 m²; washing area 4 m × 2.2 m, 8.8 m² |
| Owner | Kouso Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006416
- Cultural Heritage Online: Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery Well and Washing Area
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/197409
- Setouchi City: Bitchuya Koso Sake Brewery (Japanese)
- https://www.city.setouchi.lg.jp/soshiki/23/1875.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
