About the Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery
The Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery (東門脇家住宅旧酒蔵, Higashi-Kadowaki-ke Jūtaku Kyū Sakagura) is a clay-walled sake storehouse built in 1898 in Tokorogo, Daisen Town, Tottori Prefecture, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on November 8, 2004. It is a two-story Dozo-zukuri building under a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pan tiles, with a building area of 72 square meters.
The Higashikadowaki house began as a branch of the Kadowaki farming family, and Daisen Town says it later went into sake brewing and money lending. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the brewing business to the Meiji period. The former sake brewery, built the same year as the koji room beside it, is what remains of that trade.
A Brewery at the Back of the Lot
The Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery stands at the rear of the estate, on its north side. The gate row house and storehouse on the south road form the estate's public face; the brewery was placed as far from the street as the lot allowed. At 4 by 3.5 ken it is the largest clay-walled building on the Higashikadowaki property.
The main house went up in 1818. Eighty years later, in 1898, the sake storehouse and koji room were added, and a miso storehouse followed the next year. The dates show the north side of the estate being fitted out for brewing toward the end of the Meiji period.
A Wide Eave and Board-Protected Plaster
Along its south side, the Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery has a broad Geya lean-to eave, with a doorway on the ground floor and a window above. The walls are finished in Shikkui lime plaster, with the ground-floor section covered in boards.
A deep eave in front of the door creates sheltered space for loading and working even in rain, which matters in brewing, with its constant traffic of rice, barrels and equipment. The boards on the lower wall protect the plaster at the height where people and loads knock against it.
Why the Former Sake Brewery Was Registered
The Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it preserves part of the livelihood the family once pursued.
Tokorogo was a farming village, and most of the old buildings in its preservation district are farmhouses, stables, barns and storehouses. The Higashikadowaki brewery adds another chapter: a farming branch family that expanded into brewing.
Seeing the Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery
The Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery stands at the back of the lot, where, judging by the layout, the main house and other buildings largely screen it from the south road. Little of it can be seen from the street, and its south side, with the eave and doorway, faces into the grounds. The estate is a private home that is not open to the public, and the brewery interior is closed.
No official guidance on photography could be found as of September 2026. Please be content with what can be seen from the road without entering the property.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tottori
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery
- [ Tottori Sand Dunes & Camel Riding Experience ]
Q&A
- When was the Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery built?
- In 1898 (Meiji 31), the same year as the former koji room.
- How big is the Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery?
- It is a two-story clay-walled building of 4 by 3.5 ken with a building area of 72 square meters.
- What does the Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery look like?
- A broad lean-to eave runs along the south side, with a doorway below and a window above. The walls are lime plaster, boarded over on the ground floor.
- Did the Higashikadowaki family brew sake?
- Yes. The family brewed sake from the Meiji period and also ran a money-lending business. The Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery is a building from that brewing trade.
- Can I visit the Higashikadowaki Former Sake Brewery?
- No. It stands at the back of a private property that is not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery (東門脇家住宅旧酒蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 425 Tokorogo, Daisen-cho, Saihaku-gun, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2004 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 72 m²; 4 ken long (clay-walled, 2 stories) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | Not open (at the back of the lot, hard to see from the road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004401
- Cultural Heritage Online: Higashikadowaki Family Residence Former Sake Brewery
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/141671
- Daisen Town: Higashikadowaki Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.daisen.jp/10/33/1/s148/p136/
- Daisen Town: Daisen-cho Tokorogo Preservation District (Japanese)
- https://www.daisen.jp/10/33/2/1/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
