The Brewing Hall in Use Since 1880
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura (石川酒造本蔵, Ishikawa Shuzō Hongura) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled brewing hall built in 1880 at the Ishikawa brewery in Kumagawa, Fussa City, Tokyo, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 17, 2004. Hongura simply means "main storehouse".
It went up in the year the Ishikawa family moved brewing from a rented storehouse across the Tama River to its own land in Kumagawa, and according to the brewery all of its Tamajiman sake is still made inside. With 734 square meters of building area, the Hongura is the largest of the six registered buildings on the site.
A Roof That Changes Shape End to End
The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura a Ketayuki length of 32 meters and a Harima span of 23 meters. Its Sangawara-buki tiled roof runs north to south, and the two ends are treated differently: the south end is a plain Kirizuma-zukuri gable, while the north end is finished as an Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable. Walk around the building and the triangular south wall gives way to a roof that slopes down on all sides.
The walls are coated in white Shikkui plaster, and the gable walls carry rows of windows closed by double-leaf Kannon-biraki shutters, set out in a regular grid. Inside, the agency describes a lofty space crowded with pillars.
The brewery's own tour page describes the Hongura as roughly 25 by 28 meters and about 13 meters tall, roofed with some 300 tsubo of tile. Those plan figures do not match the national database, and this article follows the database's 32 by 23 meters.
Why the Hongura Was Registered
A Munafuda ridge tablet dates the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura firmly to 1880. It was registered under the criterion of contributing to the nation's historic landscape, and the agency notes the striking presence it has in the local townscape. Its registration number, 13-0165, is the first of the six at the brewery.
The Shingura stands on its west side, and the agency's entry for that building says the two together give the site the look of a working sake house.
Seeing the Hongura
The outside of the Hongura can be seen on the free, unbooked walk around the grounds. Circling the building is the easiest way to compare the gable at the south end with the hipped north end.
The interior is a working brewery. On the booked guided tour (500 yen per person) the brewing process is explained at the Hongura, though actual brewing work is not shown. The brewery describes its group lunch course as including "the inside of the Hongura, normally closed", so ask when booking how far inside the standard tour goes.
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Q&A
- When was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura built?
- In 1880, as recorded on its ridge tablet. It was built when the Ishikawa family began brewing in Kumagawa.
- Is sake still brewed in the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura?
- Yes. According to the brewery, its Tamajiman sake is made in the Hongura.
- How big is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura?
- The national database gives 32 by 23 meters and 734 square meters of building area over two storeys. The brewery quotes about 25 by 28 meters and about 13 meters in height.
- What is unusual about the roof of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura?
- The tiled roof runs north to south with a gable at the south end and a hip-and-gable at the north end.
- Can visitors go inside the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura?
- The booked guided tour includes an explanation at the Hongura, but brewing work is not shown and how far you go inside depends on the course. Check when booking.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery Hongura (石川酒造本蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Aza-Minami, Oaza Kumagawa, Fussa City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 13-0165 |
| Year Designated | Registered February 17, 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 32 meters by 23 meters, building area 734 square meters |
| Owner | Ishikawa Brewery Co., Ltd. (石川酒造株式会社) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible on the self-guided walk; interior shown on the booked tour |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishikawa Shuzo Hongura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003846
- Cultural Heritage Online: Ishikawa Shuzo Hongura
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180066
- Fussa City Local History Museum: Ishikawa Shuzo Hongura (Japanese)
- https://www.museum.fussa.tokyo.jp/archives/fc_cultural/525
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishikawa Shuzo Shingura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003847
- Ishikawa Brewery: Brewery Walk and Tours (Japanese)
- https://www.tamajiman.co.jp/tour/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
