Built as a Coal Shed, Now Brewing Beer
Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura (石川酒造向蔵, Ishikawa Shuzō Mukaigura) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri earthen-walled storehouse built in 1896 at the Ishikawa brewery in Kumagawa, Fussa City, Tokyo, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 17, 2004. The Agency for Cultural Affairs reads the name Mukaigura; the brewery itself spells it MUKOUGURA.
The Mukaigura stands toward the western part of the site and, according to the agency, began life as a coal shed. Its ground floor is now the brewery's beer workshop, where the Tama no Megumi and TOKYO BLUES craft beers are made.
Openings Framed Like a Torii
The Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura is a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled storehouse with a Sangawara-buki tiled roof running north to south. The database gives a Ketayuki length of 35 meters, a Harima span of 13.5 meters and a building area of 577 square meters, including an attached section on the east side.
The detail to look for is the framing around the openings. Door and window surrounds are carefully modelled in plaster in the shape of a torii gate, with the top member reaching out past the uprights on either side. The east face, which holds the doorway, has a Geya lean-to Hisashi canopy, and each window carries its own small hood.
The database gives the Shingura exactly the same 35 by 13.5 meters, although the two buildings' areas differ (489 square meters for the Shingura, 577 for the Mukaigura). No source was found to check the measurements, so the database figures are reproduced as they stand.
Date and Reasons for Registration
A Munafuda ridge tablet dates the building to 1896. It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the agency singles out its original use as a coal shed as evidence of how a Meiji-era household compound was organized. Its registration number is 13-0167.
The brewery first tried making beer in 1887 and sold off the equipment in 1890, six years before the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura was built. When beer returned in 1998, it eventually found its home on this building's ground floor.
Seeing the Mukaigura
The exterior of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura can be seen on the free, unbooked walk around the grounds. The torii-shaped frames and the lean-to on the east side read best from the east, facing the doorway. The ground-floor beer workshop is a working space, and there is no notice of open access to it.
The upper floor is used for the brewery's group lunch course, which is held Wednesday to Sunday for 12 to 40 people, costs 2,700 yen per person with drinks extra, and must be booked. The room is reached by stairs only, so it is not accessible by wheelchair.
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Q&A
- How is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura name pronounced?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs reads it Mukaigura. The brewery writes it MUKOUGURA.
- What was the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura originally used for?
- According to the agency, it was built in 1896 as a coal shed.
- What is the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura used for today?
- The ground floor is the beer workshop for Tama no Megumi and TOKYO BLUES; the upper floor hosts booked group lunches.
- What should I look for on the outside of the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura?
- The torii-shaped plaster frames around the doors and windows, the lean-to canopy on the east face and the small hoods over each window.
- Can I go inside the Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura?
- There is no open access to the beer workshop. The upper floor can be used through the booked group lunch course for 12 to 40 people.
Basic Information
| Name | Ishikawa Sake Brewery Mukaigura (石川酒造向蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Aza-Minami, Oaza Kumagawa, Fussa City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 13-0167 |
| Year Designated | Registered February 17, 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 35 meters by 13.5 meters, building area 577 square meters, with east-side attachment |
| Owner | Ishikawa Brewery Co., Ltd. (石川酒造株式会社) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible on the self-guided walk; upper floor used for booked group visits |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ishikawa Shuzo Mukaigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003848
- Cultural Heritage Online: Ishikawa Shuzo Mukaigura
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/139618
- Fussa City Local History Museum: Ishikawa Shuzo Mukaigura (Japanese)
- https://www.museum.fussa.tokyo.jp/archives/fc_cultural/529
- 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/
- Ishikawa Brewery: About Ishikawa Brewery (Japanese)
- https://www.tamajiman.co.jp/about/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
