The Storehouse Facing the Bottling Plant
Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura (小川酒造二階蔵, Ogawa Shuzō Nikaigura, "two-storey storehouse") is an early Showa-era sake storehouse in Kawaramachi, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on October 9, 1998. It is a small storehouse in the middle of the Ogawa family's brewing estate, standing opposite the Bottling Plant.
The Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura is an earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri building of 2 storeys under a tiled roof, with a building area of just 52 square meters, the smallest of the seven buildings registered that day. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Showa era, the same period as the Sankaigura next door to the north and the Tool Storehouse in the middle of the plot.
Why the Nikaigura Was Registered
The Agency calls the Ogawa Nikaigura a facility the brewery could not have worked without and one of the main elements of the estate's layout. It does not say what the storehouse held, but its position facing the Bottling Plant, where sake went into bottles, ties it to the movement of goods and materials across that yard.
It was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. It earns its place not by size but by the part it plays in the row of buildings. Kurayoshi City's published list of nationally registered properties (2021) does not include the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura, so the current status of the registration needs checking.
A Covered Loading Porch and a Stone-Look Base
The east side is where the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura shows its character. A lean-to Geya roof is hung off that wall to create a Kuramae, a sheltered working space in front of the storehouse door where goods could be handled in rain or snow. The floor there is raised slightly, and the base of the building is finished to look like stone facing.
The Agency's wording is precise: it looks like stone rather than being stone. The base was dressed to give that impression, a sign that even a small storehouse of the early Showa era got some attention to appearance.
The roof rests on a Japanese Wagoya frame with doubled beams, the traditional arrangement of two tiers of beams carrying the roof. The Agency records the Bottling Plant opposite with the same kind of frame.
Seeing the Ogawa Nikaigura
The interior of the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura is not open. It stands in the middle of the plot behind the Main House and is hard to see from Kawaramachi Street.
The grounds are managed by the Kazeno Kurayoshi hotel, whose information does not mention access to this storehouse. To see the covered porch on the east side, ask at the front desk if you may enter.
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Q&A
- What is the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura?
- An early Showa-era storehouse on the Ogawa family's brewing estate in Kawaramachi, Kurayoshi. It is earthen-walled, 2 storeys, with a building area of 52 square meters, and was registered on October 9, 1998.
- Why is the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs regards it as essential to the brewery's operation and a main element of the estate's layout. It was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape.
- What is the kuramae on the Ogawa Nikaigura?
- A covered working space in front of the door, made by hanging a lean-to roof off the east wall. The floor is raised slightly and the base is finished to look like stone.
- How big is the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura compared with the other buildings?
- At 52 square meters it is the smallest of the seven. The largest, the Main House, covers 360 square meters.
- Can visitors see inside the Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura?
- No. The interior is not open, the building is hard to see from the street, and the grounds are managed by the Kazeno Kurayoshi hotel.
Basic Information
| Name | Ogawa Sake Brewery Nikaigura (小川酒造二階蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1969 Kawaramachi, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 31-0033 |
| Year Designated | Registered October 9, 1998 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 52 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Closed to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogawa Shuzo Nikaigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000893
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogawa Shuzo Binzumeba
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000890
- Tottori Prefecture, Tottori Cultural Properties Navi: Ogawa Family Residence
- https://db.pref.tottori.jp/bunkazainavi.nsf/bunkazai_web_view/81801E062D55083349257E200010AB92
- Kurayoshi City: Nationally Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.kurayoshi.lg.jp/4237.htm
- Kazeno Kurayoshi official website
- https://www.kazenoheritage.jp/hotels/kurayoshi/
Last verified: 2026.09.30
