What Is the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse (古橋酒造場旧衣装蔵, Furuhashi Shuzōjō Kyū-ishōgura) is a small two-story earthen storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) of around 1921 southeast of the main house at the Furuhashi Sake Brewery in Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on September 10, 2010, under number 32-0136.
As its name suggests, it was most likely used to keep the family's clothing, which makes it part of the household rather than the brewery. At 4.6 meters by 4.0 meters, with a building area of 23 square meters, the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse is the smallest of the five registered buildings. It was renovated in 2003.
Why the Former Clothing Storehouse Was Registered
The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as designed with the garden in mind.
The other four buildings line the street or the edges of the lot and turn their walls outward. This one sits inside, facing the garden enclosed by the house and storehouses. Within a working brewery, it belongs to the private, domestic view.
A Storehouse Dressed for the Garden
The gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) roof of interlocking pantiles runs east to west, and the building stands between the main house and the storage house, which lies to its east. Its doorway opens on the north, garden side, sheltered by a small eave with a window set above. Everything that counts as a front faces the garden.
On a cut-stone base, the lower walls are finished in Namako-kabe and the upper walls in Shikkui plaster. Namako-kabe sets flat tiles into the wall and raises the plaster joints between them into rounded ridges, leaving a crisp white grid. Of the five registered buildings, only the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse has it, and it serves both to toughen the base of the wall and to look well from the garden.
What the 2003 renovation involved could not be confirmed from public sources, and the building's present use is not published.
Visiting the Former Clothing Storehouse
The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse stands inside the lot facing the garden, with its doorway on the garden side, so it is probably hard to see from Honmachi-dori or the north side street. The garden and storehouse are not open, and the brewery does not say whether its tours include them, so ask when you book. Directions and booking are covered on the Furuhashi Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse
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Q&A
- What is the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
- A small two-story earthen storehouse of around 1921 that faces the private garden enclosed by the house and storehouses.
- When did the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On September 10, 2010, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. Its registration number is 32-0136.
- What should I notice about the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
- The namako-kabe tile grid on the lower walls and the north doorway with its eave and window, all facing the garden. The Agency describes it as designed with the garden in mind.
- How big is the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
- It measures 4.6 meters by 4.0 meters, with a building area of 23 square meters.
- Can I visit the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
- It is private, together with the garden, and hard to see from the street. Ask when booking a brewery tour whether it is included.
Basic Information
| Name | Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | Ushiroda Honmachi Ro 196 and others, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2010 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 4.6 m by 4.0 m; building area 23 m² |
| Owner | Furuhashi Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (listed as 古橋酒蔵株式会社 in the national database; trading name 古橋酒造株式会社) |
| Public Access | Not open (faces the garden inside the lot; hard to see from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Furuhashi Sake Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008344
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
- Furuhashi Sake Brewery (official): Brewery Tours
- https://uijin.net/?mode=f3
Last verified: 2026.10.04
