Seigyoku Chimney

A Brick Chimney from the Founding Years

Seigyoku Chimney (勢玉煙突) is a brick chimney of about 1902 in Fukushima, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 23, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a brick structure 10 metres high; registration number 36-0021.

A Square Chimney North-East of the Office

Seigyoku Chimney is one of the structures built when the Seigyoku brewery was founded, and it rises north-east of the office building (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its cross-section is square rather than round, the brick laid up as a four-sided shaft.

The upper part has been repaired with mortar (Agency for Cultural Affairs). At 10 metres Seigyoku Chimney is fairly short for a chimney, and the Agency notes that it does not stand out much in the town.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered Seigyoku Chimney as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the nation. It does not dominate the skyline, but the Agency values it as a symbol of a family that made its living brewing sake. Standing since about 1902, it is the only brick structure among the four registered at Seigyoku.

What to Look For

On Seigyoku Chimney, look for the change between the mortar repair on the upper part and the brick below it (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Where the surface changes shows how far the repair reaches.

The square section makes the faces of Seigyoku Chimney seem wider or narrower as you move around it. Seen against the office and the storehouse roofs, it shows how a 10-metre chimney sits in scale with the brewery buildings.

Visiting

Seigyoku Chimney stands north-east of the office building. At 10 metres it is low and, according to the Agency, inconspicuous in the town. No official source says whether visitors may enter the site to view it, or whether photography is allowed.

Opening hours and parking are covered on the Seigyoku Sake Brewery page.