What Is the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse?
The Zaima Brewery East Storehouse (財間酒造場東蔵, Zaima Shuzōjō Higashigura) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri sake storehouse from the late Edo period (1751 to 1830), joined to the back of the brewery's store and main house in Nakaza, Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 13, 2012.
It measures 27.6 meters by 8.6 meters, with a building area of 236 m². Attached directly behind the shop section of the main house, it is described by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as forming the historic brewery scene together with the main house.
Windows for Cooling Steamed Rice
The detail to look for on the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse is the row of low windows set just above the second-floor level. The Agency explains that they were made for cooling steamed rice. In sake making, rice is steamed, spread out to cool and then passed on for koji making and fermentation; windows that let air through the upper floor indicate that this work was done upstairs in this storehouse.
The walls are finished in plaster with a skirting of vertical boards, and the skirting varies: it is kept low on the gable ends and taken higher on the long sides, where a taller band of timber protects more of the wall from rain and splashing. The gabled roof is laid with pantiles.
Three Rounds of Alteration on the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse
The date entry for the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse records its late Edo construction followed by alterations in 1915, 1979 and around 2003, more recorded work than any other building at the brewery. The New House was built in 1915 and the main house was renovated in 1979, so repairs to the storehouse coincided with other building work on the site.
In 1924 the Brewing Storehouse was built parallel to it on the north side, and the two upper floors were joined by a covered bridge. The arrangement suggests that the late Edo Zaima Brewery East Storehouse stayed part of the brewing route after the Taishō-era expansion. It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Visiting the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse
The Zaima Brewery East Storehouse stands behind the main house and, judging from the layout, is screened by it from the old San'in-dō. No public guide points to a spot where the whole exterior can be seen.
Zaima Sakaba says it welcomes visitors to look around the brewery at any time, so the surest way to see the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse is to ask in the shop in the main house, and to check about photography at the same time. Directions and the museum's opening hours are on the Zaima Brewery page.
Q&A
- When was the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse built?
- In the late Edo period (1751 to 1830). It was altered in 1915, 1979 and around 2003.
- What are the upper windows of the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse for?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the low windows just above the second floor were made for cooling steamed rice.
- How big is the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse?
- It is a two-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse measuring 27.6 meters by 8.6 meters, with a building area of 236 m².
- When was the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse registered?
- On August 13, 2012, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
- Can visitors see the Zaima Brewery East Storehouse?
- It is behind the main house and hard to see from the street. The brewery accepts visitors looking around at any time, so ask in the shop.
Basic Information
| Name | Zaima Brewery East Storehouse (財間酒造場東蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 | 2-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, tiled roof, building area 236 m², 27.6 m by 8.6 m |
| Owner | Zaima Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (株式会社財間酒造) |
| Public Access | Ask at the shop about looking around the brewery |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Zaima Brewery East Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009373
- 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
