The fermentation store on the western edge
Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse (丸本酒造西蔵, Marumoto Shuzō Nishigura) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri fermentation store of the early Taisho period, extended in the early Showa period, at 2485 Yoshimune, Honjo, Kamogata-cho, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1 December 2003.
It runs along the western boundary of the Marumoto compound and effectively is that boundary. At 432 square metres it is the second largest of the group after the East Storehouse. A shikomi-gura, or fermentation store, is where steamed rice, koji and water are combined and left to ferment into mash; it is the core building of any sake brewery.
At its east end it joins the Marumoto Sake Brewery Shop, the kettle room is attached to its south gable, and the Connecting Corridor runs along its east flank. Shop, kettle room and corridor all lean on the West Storehouse, which forms the spine of the brewing side of the site.
Two stores side by side, with a room for the brewers
Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse is not one store but two: a pair of two-storey, Kirizuma-zukuri gabled, Sangawara-buki pantiled earth-walled stores set side by side on an east-west line. Two parallel ridges run the length of the building with a valley between them. Rather than throwing one huge roof over the floor, the builders widened it by adding a second store of the same span.
The roofs are carried on trusses, triangulated Western-style frames that span further with the same timber than the traditional Wagoya roof of posts on beams. Outside it is a traditional earth-walled store; inside the roof it is modern construction.
North of the eastern store is a room for the kurabito, the brewery workers who served under the master brewer and, through the winter brewing season, lived on site. Putting their quarters against the fermentation store fits a craft in which the mash needed tending day and night.
What gives the exterior its character is the eaves and the windows. A deep plaster cornice, the nokijabara, runs under the eaves, building up in steps to make a band of shadow along the top of the white Shikkui walls. Small windows are scattered across the plastered faces, not in a regular grid. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the result distinctive.
The west and south faces of the compound
It was registered on 1 December 2003 and gazetted on 25 December, in the thirty-ninth round. The registration number is 33-0071 and the criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of the nation. It was built in the early Taisho period and extended in the early Showa period.
The Agency describes Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse as the main element of the west and south faces of the compound: its long western wall bounds the site, and its south gable, joined to the shop and kettle room, faces the approach.
The brewery says sake is still made in its registered buildings. A fermentation store that has kept its original job after being listed is a store whose trusses and brewers' room can be understood against work that is still going on.
Visiting
As a working fermentation store, the West Storehouse is kept closed for reasons of hygiene. From outside, look for the south end where the two gabled roofs sit side by side, and the long wall with its cornice and scattered windows.
The interior is closed, and because the brewery's pre-booked tours follow the brewing process, which stores are shown depends on the work that day. As of 25 September 2026 no tour dates were scheduled. No photography policy has been published, so ask when booking. Directions and visiting conditions for the whole site are on the Marumoto Family Residence and Marumoto Sake Brewery page. Details were checked on 25 September 2026.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse
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Q&A
- Can you go inside Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse?
- It is a working fermentation store and is not normally open. The brewery runs pre-booked tours, but as of 25 September 2026 no tour dates were scheduled.
- How is Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse built?
- It consists of two two-storey, gabled, pantiled earth-walled stores set side by side east to west, with trussed roofs. The footprint is 432 square metres, and a room for the brewery workers is attached north of the eastern store.
- What should I look for on the outside of Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse?
- The deep plaster cornice under the eaves and the small windows scattered across the white walls. The Agency for Cultural Affairs treats it as the main element of the compound's west and south faces.
- When was Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Taisho period, with an extension in the early Showa period.
- When was Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse registered as a cultural property?
- It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registered on 1 December 2003 and gazetted on 25 December of that year in the thirty-ninth round, with registration number 33-0071.
Basic Information
| Name | Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 2485 Yoshimune, Honjo, Kamogata-cho, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/12/1 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, tiled roof, footprint 432 square metres |
| Owner | Marumoto Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior closed (working fermentation store). Its walls form the west and south faces of the compound |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Marumoto Sake Brewery West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003700
- Marumoto Shuzo, Okayama Kanko Web (Okayama Tourism Federation)
- https://www.okayama-kanko.jp/spot/detail_11569.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
