What Is the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House?
The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House (古橋酒造場貯蔵蔵, Furuhashi Shuzōjō Chozōgura) is a single-story earthen storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) of around 1921 at the middle of the south edge of 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 32-0135.
It is the only single-story building among the brewery's five registered structures. The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House measures 19 meters by 10 meters, with a building area of 197 square meters, under a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) pantile roof whose ridge runs east to west. A raised ventilating roof (Koshi-yane) sits on its west end.
Why the Storage House Was Registered
The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs chooses to highlight, though, is inside: a traditional Japanese roof frame (Wagoya) of heavy beams and purlins that achieves a wide, open interior.
A store for maturing sake needs floor space for rows of casks and tanks. The storage house gets it by gathering a 19-by-10-meter block under one sturdy timber frame. It was valued less for its looks from the street than for the room it makes inside.
How the Storage House Is Built
The walls are finished in Shikkui plaster, with the lower part done partly in mortar and partly in boards. Windows fitted with iron bars are cut only where needed, which keeps the outer shell closed and secure.
The koshi-yane on the west end is a small second roof lifted above the ridge to let in light and air. Since it appears only at that end, it is the easiest way to pick out the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House from outside.
A wagoya frame carries the roof load on horizontal beams and stands short posts on them to hold up the purlins, the standard Japanese way of framing a roof. The Agency's description does not give the sizes of the timbers or the layout of the posts.
Visiting the Storage House
The Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House stands on the south edge of the lot, and the national records do not make clear how much of it can be seen from Honmachi-dori or the north side street. Its real interest is the timber frame inside, which is not normally open. The brewery does not say whether its tours include the storage house, so ask when you contact it by the day before. 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 Storage House
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Q&A
- What is the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House?
- A single-story earthen storehouse of around 1921 with a gabled pantile roof and a raised ventilating roof on its west end.
- When did the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On September 10, 2010, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. Its registration number is 32-0135.
- What is special about the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House?
- Its traditional roof frame of heavy beams and purlins, which creates a wide interior 10 meters across.
- How big is the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House?
- It measures 19 meters by 10 meters, with a building area of 197 square meters.
- Can I see inside the Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House?
- It is not normally open. Whether the brewery tour goes inside is not published, so ask when you contact the brewery by the day before.
Basic Information
| Name | Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House |
|---|---|
| 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 | 19 m by 10 m; building area 197 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 | Interior not normally open (tour access not published) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Furuhashi Sake Brewery Storage House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008343
- 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
