The Storehouse That Closes the Yard
The Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse (田中酒造場本蔵, Tanaka Shuzōjō Honkura) is an earthen storehouse built around 1885 on the old Inaba Kaidō post town of Ōhara-juku in Furumachi, Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 27, 2017.
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri building under a pantile roof (Sangawara-buki), with a building area of 52 square meters. It sits southeast of the main house, near the middle of the south edge of the property, and marks the southern limit of the brewery's working yard. With the brewing storehouse and the storage warehouse it forms the back row of buildings that outline the compound.
Honkura means "main storehouse." Along with the main house and the storage warehouse, it is one of the three registered buildings dated to around 1885, when the brewery took its present form. The name suggests it was the principal store of the household, but no published record says what it held.
Why It Was Registered
The Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it bounds the south side of the brewery yard and shapes the view both inside and outside the property.
The walls change halfway up. The upper storey is white Shikkui plaster with a band of Namako-kabe tile lattice at its base; the ground floor is either boarded or left as bare earthen wall. That split between a sealed white top and a plain lower level defines the building, and the tile band links it visually to the main house and shop storehouse on the street.
There are pent roofs (hisashi) on both the north and south faces, one facing the working yard and one facing outward. The storehouse has a front on each side, which is why it counts for the landscape inside the compound and beyond it.
What to Look For
Note where the doors are: one in the center of the north wall, another at the north end of the west wall. The north door opens onto the yard, the west door toward the main house. Their placement shows how people and goods moved around the back of the brewery.
Then compare the two floors. One plausible reading of the plaster-and-tile upper storey over boarded lower walls is practical: tile protects the part of the wall most exposed to rain dripping from the eaves, while boards below can be replaced when damaged.
At 52 square meters it is about twice the size of the shop storehouse and less than a quarter of the brewing storehouse. Small among the rear buildings, it still has the height of two storeys to hold the south end of the yard.
Visiting the Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse
The Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse stands deep in the property and is largely hidden behind the main house when seen from the old road. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with shaping the view outside the property as well, so to see it from outside, work your way around to the south and look for the plastered upper storey, the tile band and the south pent roof; which lanes give a clear line of sight is best checked on the spot. The interior is not open to the public.
The north door and the yard side are visible only from inside the compound. Brewery tours are by reservation and have been suspended at times, so contact the brewery if you hope to see it from the yard.
No published photography rules turned up; photographing the exterior from public streets is fine.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse
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Q&A
- When was the Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to around 1885. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 27, 2017.
- Can you see the Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse from the street?
- It stands at the south edge of the property and is largely hidden from the old road by the main house. To see it from outside the property, go around to the south side and look for its plastered upper storey and south pent roof.
- Can you go inside the Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse?
- No, the interior is not open to the public. Brewery tours are by reservation and are sometimes suspended, so check with the brewery first.
- What do the walls of the Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse look like?
- The upper storey is white plaster with a namako-kabe tile band at its base, while the ground floor is boarded or bare earthen wall. There are pent roofs on both the north and south faces.
- Why was the Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse registered?
- It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape, as a storehouse that closes the south side of the brewery yard and shapes views inside and outside the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1655 Yashiki, Furumachi, Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, pantile roof, building area 52 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (part of the Tanaka Sake Brewery works) |
| Public Access | Exterior partly visible from outside the property (hard to see from the old road); interior not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tanaka Sake Brewery Main Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012035
- Tanaka Sake Brewery: company profile, tours and access
- https://www.musashinosato.com/06_company.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
