What Is the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse?
The Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse (華泉酒造場道具蔵, Kasen Shuzōjō Dōgugura) is a late-Edo Dozo-zukuri earthen storehouse of 2 storeys, built between about 1830 and 1867, that stands just north 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. At 27 square meters it is the smallest of the five registered buildings.
It measures 6.8 by 3.9 meters. The gabled roof is laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles, and its ridge runs east to west, so the gable ends face east and west. The west gable looks onto Honmachi-dōri; the door is in the east gable, the arrangement called Tsumairi.
Despite the name, the Agency for Cultural Affairs description says nothing about what the building actually held.
A Small Storehouse in the Street Front
The Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse was registered, as No. 32-0141, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
Seen from Honmachi-dōri, it stands at the north side of the shop-house with its white gable wall to the street. On the south side, the Former Clothing Storehouse shows a similar wall, so the two storehouses flank the merchant's frontage. The national database notes how closely the Former Clothing Storehouse resembles this one. Part of the Tool Storehouse's value lies in that shared role in the street front, not only in the building alone.
Fieldstone Footings and Copper Doors
Look down first. The Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse sits on a row of fieldstones, left in their natural rounded shapes rather than cut square. Above them rise earthen walls finished in Shikkui lime plaster.
On the street side the lower wall is Namako-kabe: flat tiles set into the wall with raised, rounded joints of plaster, which protect the base of the wall from rain splash and knocks. Above that is a window hung with copper doors. Metal shutters let a storehouse close its openings when fire came near, a standard precaution on earthen storehouses.
The entrance is not on the street but on the east side, reached from within the lot. With only one window facing the road, the gable of the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse presents a closed, defensive face despite its small size.
Visiting the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse
The Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse is not open inside, and its east entrance lies within the lot, out of sight from the street.
From Honmachi-dōri you can see its gable wall, the namako-kabe base and the copper-doored window beside the north end of the shop-house. The far side of the street shows how it lines up with the house. 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 Tool Storehouse
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period, which the national database gives as about 1830 to 1867.
- What kind of building is the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse?
- A 2-storey earthen storehouse measuring 6.8 by 3.9 meters, with a gabled pantile roof and its gable end to the street. At 27 square meters it is the smallest of the five buildings.
- What should I look for at the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse?
- The street wall: fieldstone footings, a namako-kabe tiled base, plastered walls above, and a window with copper doors.
- When was the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse registered?
- On 10 September 2010, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property No. 32-0141, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I go inside the Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse?
- No. The interior is not open and the entrance is inside the lot. You can see the exterior from Honmachi-dōri, beside the north end of the shop-house.
Basic Information
| Name | Kasen Brewery Tool Storehouse (華泉酒造場道具蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | Ro 221 Honmachi, Ushiroda, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 32-0141 |
| Year Designated | Registered 10 September 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen storehouse, tiled roof, building area 27 square meters, 6.8 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 Tool Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008349
- 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
