The Oldest Building on the Lot
Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Document Storehouse (まちや倶楽部（旧西勝酒造）文庫蔵) is an earthen storehouse built in 1741 in Suwaichō Naka, Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 February 2022. It is the oldest of the nine registered buildings at the former Nishikatsu brewery.
It stands right behind the main house, at the head of the line of brewing storehouses that runs back into the lot; the rice washing house is its western neighbour. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes renovations in the mid Showa period and in 2020, but its published material gives no dimensions or structural detail.
A Century Older Than the Brewery Around It
Most of the compound, the main house included, dates from the early Meiji period. The Machiya Club document storehouse is more than a hundred years older, the one building on the site that carries the Edo-period layer of the property. In a registration that honours the brewery as a complete set, it marks where the timeline begins.
A bunkogura normally held a merchant family's most valuable things: account books, deeds, heirlooms. Here, the Agency says, it also served as lodging for the kurabito, the craftsmen who made the sake. Brewery workers traditionally lived on site through the brewing season, so the family strongroom doubled as a dormitory.
Like the other eight buildings, it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Now a Craft Shop
Today the Machiya Club document storehouse houses Koyomi Local Life and Crafts, a shop run by Machiya Club itself. The operator describes the building as a weighty Edo-period storehouse that once also housed brewery workers.
The stock is regional handwork: reed goods from the lakeshore, bamboo craft, hemp textiles, leather and canvas bags. The shop also organises hands-on workshops and small trips to the places where these goods are made.
Of the nine buildings, this is the only one you can walk into without a room booking or a hall reservation. Look past the shelves to the walls and ceiling and you are standing inside an eighteenth-century kura.
Visiting the Document Storehouse
Koyomi is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. It closes on Tuesdays and occasionally on other days. The main Machiya Club number, 0748-32-4654, handles questions about workshops and tours too.
The exterior can be seen from the lane through the site. Ask staff before taking photographs inside the shop. 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 go inside the Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Document Storehouse?
- Yes. It operates as the Koyomi craft shop, and anyone can enter during opening hours. It is closed on Tuesdays.
- How old is the Machiya Club Document Storehouse?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs it was built in 1741, making it the oldest of the nine buildings at the former Nishikatsu brewery. It was registered on 17 February 2022.
- What are the opening hours of the shop in the Machiya Club Document Storehouse?
- Koyomi opens from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and closes on Tuesdays.
- What was the Machiya Club Document Storehouse used for?
- It was built to keep the family's valuables, but the Agency notes it also served as lodging for the brewery's kurabito craftsmen.
- What does the shop in the Machiya Club Document Storehouse sell?
- Regional handwork from Omihachiman and the surrounding area, including reed goods, bamboo craft, hemp textiles, and leather and canvas products.
Basic Information
| Name | Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Document 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 | Not confirmed (not stated in the Agency's report) |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs records |
| Public Access | Interior open during the opening hours of the Koyomi craft shop (closed Tuesdays) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Machiya Club (Former Nishikatsu Sake Brewery) Document Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014175
- 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
- Machiya Club: Facilities
- https://machiya-club.org/shisetsu/
- Machiya Club: Our projects
- https://machiya-club.org/torikumi/
Last verified: 2026.09.24
