What the Sake Brewery Is
The Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery (岩根家住宅酒蔵, Iwane-ke Jūtaku Sakegura) in Gokenya 2-chome, Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture, is a two-storey earthen-walled brewing hall (Dozo-zukuri) of the mid-Meiji period, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property on April 18, 2008. At 476 square meters it is the largest of the eight registered structures on the estate.
Tondabayashi City dates it to the Meiji 20s (1887 to 1896) and calls it the most distinctive building on the property. It stands toward the northwest corner of the site, north of the inner drawing room.
The Iwane family brewed sake from the early Meiji period into the early Showa years, and this was the building at the center of that business.
A Great Gabled Hall
According to the city, the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery covers about 220 tsubo. Its main body measures 10 bays by 6, with lean-tos (Geya) about 3 bays wide along both the north and south sides. The gable roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) is pitched at 8 in 10, a steep slope that rises 8 units for every 10 across.
Inside, the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes, is a wide and tall open space, the height needed for rows of fermenting vats and the scaffolding around them. The Agency singles out the great gable roof as the building's defining feature. It is register no. 27-0464, registered under the historic landscape criterion.
The city adds that brewing tools and equipment still survive on the ground floor.
The Brick Koji Room and Chimney
What catches the eye first on the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery is a red-brick chimney. It rises from the Kojimuro, the room where steamed rice is inoculated with koji mold and kept at a steady temperature and humidity, and that room is itself built of brick.
Tondabayashi City points out that the koji room and part of the office are brick and fitted with a stove, an unusual arrangement. Inside a large earthen-walled hall, brick was used only where heat had to be handled.
About the Roof
The Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery was repaired in 1997. The city records that the original pantiled roof was replaced at that time with colored slate sheeting, and the Agency's description likewise gives a slate roof. The roof you see today is not tile.
The structure field of the Agency's database, however, lists the roof as steel sheet, which does not match the description on the same page. This article follows the city's account of the repair and the Agency's written description.
Seeing the Sake Brewery
The interior of the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery is not open. Tondabayashi City notes, though, that its tall gable wall with a small attached eave can be seen from the old road. Because the building is large and stands toward the northwest of the site, the upper part of the gable and roof shows above the surrounding walls from some points on the road. Look for the brick chimney alongside it.
For the walk from the station, see the Iwane Family Residence group page.
Q&A
- When was the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji period and Tondabayashi City to the Meiji 20s (1887 to 1896). It was repaired in 1997.
- How large is the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled building of 476 square meters. The city gives about 220 tsubo, with a main body 10 bays by 6 and lean-tos about 3 bays wide on the north and south.
- What is the chimney on the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery for?
- It is a red-brick chimney rising from the brick-built koji room. Part of the office is also brick, and both have a stove.
- Does the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery have a tiled roof?
- Not any longer. The original pantiled roof was replaced with colored slate in the 1997 repair. The Agency's structure field says steel sheet, while its description says slate.
- Can the Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery be seen from outside?
- The interior is not open, but according to Tondabayashi City the tall gable wall can be seen from the old road. Please view it from the public road only.
Basic Information
| Name | Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery (岩根家住宅酒蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-1525-1 Gokenya, Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 27-0464 |
| Year Designated | Registered April 18, 2008 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled building, building area 476 square meters, with chimney |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public. Gable wall visible from the old road |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007089
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iwane Family Residence Sake Brewery
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/144351
- Registered Cultural Property: Iwane Family Residence (Tondabayashi City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.tondabayashi.lg.jp/site/bunkazai/2558.html
- Iwane Family Residence Main House, Inner Drawing Room and Sake Brewery (Tondabayashi City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.tondabayashi.lg.jp/site/bunkazai/2496.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
