What Are the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura?
The Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura (財間酒造場舟蔵及び百石蔵, Zaima Shuzōjō Funekura oyobi Hyakkokugura) is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri sake storehouse on the old San'in-dō highway in Nakaza, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, joining a late Edo period (1751 to 1830) Funekura and a Taishō period (1912 to 1926) Hyakkokugura into one building, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 13, 2012.
With a building area of 423 m², it is the largest of the brewery's five registered buildings. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a very long storehouse and credits it with giving the street the look of a sake brewery.
A White Wall Along the Old San'in-dō
The Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura extends north from the Store and Main House, the Funekura first and the Hyakkokugura beyond it. Both face the old San'in-dō, so walking north along the road, the white storehouse wall simply carries on from the end of the main house. The gabled roof is tiled, and doors open in the north gable end and toward the southern end of the east side.
The walls are finished in white plaster above a skirting of vertical boards, and windows are cut at regular intervals. On a wall of this length the evenly spaced openings set up a steady rhythm, and the line where plaster meets timber runs level from one end of the building to the other.
Two Storehouses Becoming One
The database dates the two parts of the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura separately. The Funekura is late Edo, extended in the Taishō period and altered in the mid-Showa period (1946 to 1965). The Hyakkokugura went up in the Taishō period and was likewise extended in the same era and altered in the mid-Showa years. The record suggests an older Funekura to which the Taishō Hyakkokugura was added, with both reworked into the single long building seen today.
No source explains the names. In sake brewing the vessel used to press the fermented mash is traditionally called a fune, and a koku is an old unit of volume for rice and sake, so hyakkoku means one hundred koku. What each part of the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura was actually used for could not be confirmed.
It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Visiting the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura
Because the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura fronts the old San'in-dō, its exterior can be seen from the street at any time. To take in the whole length at once, stand on the opposite side of the road.
Zaima Sakaba says it welcomes visitors to look around the brewery, but it does not say whether the inside of the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura is included or whether photographs may be taken there. Ask in the shop in the main house. Directions and the museum's opening hours are on the Zaima Brewery page.
Q&A
- When were the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura built?
- The Funekura dates from the late Edo period (1751 to 1830) and the Hyakkokugura from the Taishō period (1912 to 1926). Both were extended in the Taishō period and altered in the mid-Showa period (1946 to 1965).
- Are the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura two buildings?
- They are joined end to end and registered as one building: a single-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 423 m².
- What should I look for on the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura?
- The plastered walls with vertical board skirting, the evenly spaced windows, and the doorways in the north gable and the southern part of the east side.
- When were the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura registered?
- On August 13, 2012, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
- Where can I see the Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura?
- From the old San'in-dō, which it faces directly. Ask at the shop about seeing the interior and taking photographs.
Basic Information
| Name | Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura (財間酒造場舟蔵及び百石蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | Nakaza-ro 34, Tsuwano Town, Kanoashi District, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 13, 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, tiled roof, building area 423 m² |
| Owner | Zaima Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (株式会社財間酒造) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the old San'in-dō; ask at the shop about the interior |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Zaima Brewery Funekura and Hyakkokugura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009372
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
- Zaima Sakaba official website
- https://www.zaimasakaba.com/
Last verified: 2026.10.15
