The Long Bottling Storehouse
Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Central Storehouse (まちや倶楽部（旧西勝酒造）中央蔵) is an early Meiji period (1868 to 1882) earthen storehouse in Suwaichō Naka, Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 February 2022. It is single-storey and tiled, with a footprint of 139 square metres.
It stands southwest of the main house, its ridge running east to west, and served as the brewery's bottling room. Once sake had been washed, fermented and pressed through the rest of the compound, it ended up here to be filled into bottles for sale.
A Building That Kept Growing
The Agency for Cultural Affairs sums up the Machiya Club central storehouse as a building that became very long through repeated additions. The early Meiji core was extended in the mid Showa period and renovated in 2020.
The official description calls it a storehouse that shows how the brewing business was organised. At a brewery that gave each task its own building, this was the one stretched each time shipments grew, so its length is a measure of the business. It was registered, like the others, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Three Roofs Stepping Down
The roof is a gable with entrances on the gable ends (Tsumairi), covered in pantiles. West of the main block come a middle section and a west section, each with a lower ridge, so that the roofline steps down as it runs west. The profile records the order of construction.
Doors open in both the east and west gables, and a lean-to (Geya) runs along the western half of the south wall. Inside is one earth-floored room, with an upper floor only at the east end and the roof framing exposed above.
Visiting the Central Storehouse
The exterior can be seen from the lane through the site. Walk along its side from east to west and watch the roof drop in stages; it is the clearest way to read how many times this storehouse was extended. Machiya Club has not announced any public access to the interior.
There is no published photography policy. Directions are on the Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) group page. Information checked on 25 September 2026.
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Q&A
- Can I visit the Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Central Storehouse?
- You can see the exterior from the lane through the site. No public access to the interior has been announced.
- What was the Machiya Club Central Storehouse used for?
- Bottling. It handled the final stage of the process, filling finished sake into bottles.
- When was the Machiya Club Central Storehouse built?
- The core dates from the early Meiji period (1868 to 1882), with additions in the mid Showa period and renovation in 2020. It was registered on 17 February 2022.
- What does the Machiya Club Central Storehouse look like?
- A long earthen storehouse whose roof steps down in three stages toward the west. It has doors in both gable ends and a lean-to along part of the south wall.
- Where is the Machiya Club Central Storehouse on the site?
- Southwest of the main house, which faces the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Central Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 15-1 Suwaicho Naka, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/2/17 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 139 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs records |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the lane through the site. No public interior access has been announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Central Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014174
- Cultural Heritage Online: Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Central Storehouse
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/520694
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Council for Cultural Affairs report of 19 November 2021 on Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/93601801_02.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
