What Is the Tsuji Honten Warehouse?
The Tsuji Honten Warehouse (辻本店倉庫, Tsuji Honten Sōko) is a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse of the Meiji period (1868 to 1912) on the west side of the old Izumo road, just north of the West Storehouse, at the Tsuji Honten sake brewery in Katsuyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2014. With a footprint of 223 square meters, it is the largest of the brewery's storehouses.
The Tsuji Honten Warehouse turns the gable end of its Kirizuma-zukuri roof, laid in Sangawara-buki tiles, toward the street, and a lean-to roof, or Geya, sweeps down on its north side. Because the triangular gable squarely faces the road, you can see from the street that its ridge runs back, away from you, into the property.
How the Tsuji Honten Warehouse Grew
The Agency for Cultural Affairs sums up the history of the Tsuji Honten Warehouse briefly. The oldest part is the lean-to on the north side; later a 2-storey block was added that took the lean-to into itself. The large storehouse you see today grew around an earlier, lower building.
As a brewery's output grows, so does its need for room for tools and raw materials. Rather than pull down the old lean-to, the builders absorbed it into the extension, and the shape of the Tsuji Honten Warehouse records that habit of adding on as needed. The date of the extension is not recorded; the Agency treats the whole as a Meiji-period building.
What to Look For: the East Gable
The walls of the Tsuji Honten Warehouse are plastered, with the underside of the eaves sealed in plaster and the base clad in vertical boards. The West Storehouse and the Clothing Storehouse finish their bases in namako tiling, so even on one property the storehouses differ.
The east gable, facing the street, carries two drip ledges, or mizukiri, which step out from the wall to throw rainwater clear. Two of them draw two horizontal lines across the tall gable and divide it into three bands. A tiled canopy shelters the door on the same east side. All of this faces the road head-on and forms the public face of the Tsuji Honten Warehouse.
Visiting the Tsuji Honten Warehouse
The interior of the Tsuji Honten Warehouse is not open to the public. The exterior can be seen from the old Izumo road; the east gable with its two drip ledges and the door canopy are easiest to take in from the opposite side of the street, near the front gate and wall.
The West Storehouse next door to the south can be entered during opening hours, so go there to see the inside of a storehouse frame. Directions and visiting conditions for the whole site are on the Tsuji Honten Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Tsuji Honten Warehouse
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Tsuji Honten Warehouse built?
- It dates to the Meiji period (1868 to 1912) and was registered in 2014.
- How large is the Tsuji Honten Warehouse?
- It is a 2-storey storehouse with a footprint of 223 square meters, the largest of the brewery's storehouses.
- How did the Tsuji Honten Warehouse take its present form?
- The lean-to on the north side is the oldest part; a 2-storey block was later built around it.
- What are the horizontal lines on the east gable of the Tsuji Honten Warehouse?
- Two drip ledges, called mizukiri, that throw rainwater clear of the wall.
- Can I go inside the Tsuji Honten Warehouse?
- No. The interior is not open, but the exterior can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Tsuji Honten Warehouse (辻本店倉庫) |
|---|---|
| Location | 108-1 Jogai, Katsuyama, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2014 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse; building area 223 m² |
| Owner | Tsuji Honten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the street; interior not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Tsuji Honten Warehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010060
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tsuji Honten Warehouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/208297
Last verified: 2026.09.24
