A Bottling House Built Like a Storehouse
The Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant (西堀酒造瓶詰場) is a plastered two-storey bottling building of the Taisho era in Awanomiya, Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 18, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey plastered storehouse with a tiled roof and a building area of 221 square metres; registration number 09-0172.
A Two-Storey Storehouse Joined to the Gate
The Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse lying east to west toward the north of the brewery grounds, 16 metres long and 11 metres deep under a gabled Sangawara-buki roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A tiled lean-to (Geya) on its east gable links it to the nagayamon gate on the east side of the site. The building rests on a cut-stone base, and its white Shikkui walls carry a projecting plaster band, or Hachimaki, under the eaves, above a dado of clapboard held by notched battens (Shitami-itabari) (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant for its contribution to the historic landscape, noting that the first-floor window in the east gable gives the plain plastered front its accent. Because the lean-to joins it to the nagayamon gate, the two read as one continuous frontage.
What to Look For
Look up at the east gable for the plaster band under the eaves and the single upper window (Agency for Cultural Affairs), then follow the lean-to roof as it meets the nagayamon gate.
Visiting
The Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant is a working production building, and no official information on interior access was found. Its east gable and lean-to sit just north of the nagayamon gate, so it is seen together with the gate (layout from the Agency's notes). No guidance on photography was found either.
Q&A
- When was the Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant built?
- In the Taisho era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How big is the Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant?
- It is a two-storey building 16 metres by 11 metres, with a building area of 221 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant connected to the gate?
- A lean-to on its east gable joins the north end of the nagayamon gate.
- Can I go inside the Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant?
- No official information on interior access was found.
- When was the Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant registered?
- On April 18, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant (西堀酒造瓶詰場) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1452 Awanomiya, Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/04/18 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey plastered storehouse, tiled roof, 221 m² (16 m by 11 m) |
| Owner | Nishibori Shuzo Co., Ltd. (per the company; not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access |
References
- Nishibori Shuzo Bottling Plant (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006999
Last verified: 2026.10.29
