An 1862 Storehouse Turned Against Its Neighbor
Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura (田村酒造雑蔵, Tamura Shuzō Zōgura) is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse at Tamura Sake Brewery in Fussa City, Tokyo, built in 1862 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 24, 2013. The name is read zōgura, a general-purpose store, according to the furigana in the national database.
The Zogura adjoins the south side of the Front Storehouse in the southwest of the grounds. Where the Front Storehouse runs east to west, the Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura turns its ridge north to south. It dates from the last years of the Edo period, forty years after the Tamura family began brewing.
Two Doorways and a Traditional Roof Frame
The building measures 10.8 meters along the ridge and 5.3 meters across (Ketayuki and Harima), a building area of 68 square meters, exactly twice that of the Front Storehouse next door. The gabled, pantiled roof (Sangawara-buki) is an Okiyane, a separate timber roof carried above the earthen body of the store.
There are two entrances. The roof is framed as a Wagoya, the Japanese method in which short posts stand on the tie beams to carry the purlins. Set beside the Former Water Mill and Side Storehouse on the same grounds, whose early Showa roof uses a Western King post truss, the Zogura shows how the brewery's roof carpentry changed over roughly seventy years.
Why the Zogura Was Registered
The Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, under registration number 13-0310. The Agency for Cultural Affairs cites two things: it conveys how a brewery looked at the end of the Edo period, and by setting its ridge at an angle to the Front Storehouse it adds variety to the scene within the grounds.
That second point means the building is judged in company. The small east-west Front Storehouse and the larger north-south Zogura, set side by side with their ridges crossed, break up what would otherwise be a uniform row of stores in this corner of the property.
Seeing the Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura
The Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura is passed on the brewery's booked tour. From a spot where both it and the Front Storehouse are in view, the right-angle turn between their ridges is easy to see.
Walk along the long side to find the two doorways and to see how far the floating roof projects beyond the walls. The official pages do not say whether the interior is shown.
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Q&A
- How do you pronounce Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura?
- The national database gives the reading Tamura Shuzō Zōgura; the word for the building, 雑蔵, is read zōgura.
- When was the Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura built?
- In 1862, near the end of the Edo period.
- How large is the Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura and how is it built?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse of 10.8 by 5.3 meters, 68 square meters in area, with a gabled, pantiled floating roof and a traditional wagoya roof frame.
- How does the Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura relate to the Front Storehouse?
- It adjoins the Front Storehouse to the south, with its ridge running north to south while the Front Storehouse runs east to west.
- Can I visit the Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura?
- Its exterior is seen on the brewery's booked tour. Interior access is not stated officially.
Basic Information
| Name | Tamura Sake Brewery Zogura (田村酒造雑蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 626-1 and others, Aza-Naga, Oaza Fussa, Fussa City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 13-0310 |
| Year Designated | Registered December 24, 2013 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, tiled roof, 10.8 meters by 5.3 meters, building area 68 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the national database (the brewery is Tamura Shuzojo) |
| Public Access | Exterior seen on the booked brewery tour |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Tamura Shuzo Zogura (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009725
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tamura Shuzo Zogura (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/207444
- Fussa City Local History Museum: Tamura Shuzo Zogura (Japanese)
- https://www.museum.fussa.tokyo.jp/archives/fc_cultural/540
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Water Mill and Side Storehouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009726
- Tamura Shuzojo: Brewery Tour Reservations (Japanese)
- https://www.tamurashuzojo.com/page/tour
Last verified: 2026.09.30
