What Is the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
The Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse (華泉酒造場旧衣装蔵, Kasen Shuzōjō Kyū-Ishōgura) is a late-Edo Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse of 2 storeys, built between about 1830 and 1867, that stands just south of the shop-house at Kasen Brewery in Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture; it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 10 September 2010. It was renovated around 1996.
It measures 9.5 by 3.9 meters, with a building area of 38 square meters. The ridge runs east to west under a gabled Sangawara-buki roof, the walls are finished in Shikkui plaster, and the entrance is on the north side, facing the shop-house.
An ishōgura is a storehouse for clothing and household furnishings. The registered name adds "former," and the national database does not say what the building is used for now.
A Matched Pair with the Tool Storehouse
The Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse was registered, as No. 32-0142, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs description points out that its exterior closely resembles the Tool Storehouse north of the house, and calls the result a dignified frontage. Both have a Namako-kabe tiled base on the street wall and a window hung with copper doors.
They are not the same size, though. Both are 3.9 meters deep across the ridge, but the Tool Storehouse runs 6.8 meters back from the street and the Former Clothing Storehouse 9.5 meters; the Tool Storehouse covers 27 square meters and the Former Clothing Storehouse 38 square meters. The pair keeps the same width to the street and varies the length behind it.
An Edo Storehouse Renovated in 1996
The national database records the date of the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse in two parts: late Edo, renovated around 1996. It is the only one of the five Kasen Brewery buildings whose registration record includes a renovation date.
Fourteen years after that work, in 2010, it was registered as a late-Edo storehouse. The record does not say what the renovation changed, but the street face it shares with the Tool Storehouse, tiled base and copper-doored window, is intact.
From Honmachi-dōri, the white wall of the Former Clothing Storehouse lines up south of the shop-house and marks the southern end of the brewery's street front.
Visiting the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse
The Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse is not open inside. Its north entrance faces the shop-house and is hard to see from the street.
The exterior is visible from Honmachi-dōri, at the south side of the shop-house. Compare it with the Tool Storehouse on the north side to see two storehouses of the same design and different lengths. Please photograph from the public road. Directions are on the Kasen Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period, which the national database gives as about 1830 to 1867. It was renovated around 1996.
- What kind of building is the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
- A 2-storey earthen storehouse south of the shop-house, 9.5 by 3.9 meters with a building area of 38 square meters, under a gabled pantile roof with plastered walls.
- How does the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse differ from the Tool Storehouse?
- They look alike, with namako-kabe bases and copper-doored windows on the street side, and both are 3.9 meters deep. The Former Clothing Storehouse is longer, 9.5 meters against 6.8.
- When was the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse registered?
- On 10 September 2010, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property No. 32-0142, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I go inside the Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse?
- No, the interior is not open. The exterior can be seen from Honmachi-dōri at the south side of the shop-house.
Basic Information
| Name | Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse (華泉酒造場旧衣装蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ro 221 Honmachi, Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 32-0142 |
| Year Designated | Registered 10 September 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, building area 38 square meters, 9.5 meters by 3.9 meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (used by Kasen Shuzo) |
| Public Access | Interior not open; exterior visible from Honmachi-dori |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kasen Brewery Former Clothing Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008350
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) in Shimane (Shimane Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27
