The Storehouse That Turns Its Gable to the Yard
Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse (小川酒造道具蔵, Ogawa Shuzō Dōgugura) is an early Showa-era storehouse in Kawaramachi, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on October 9, 1998. It stands at roughly the centre of the Ogawa family's brewing estate and held the equipment used in making sake.
The Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse is an earthen-walled Dozo-zukuri building of 2 storeys under a tiled roof, with a building area of 75 square meters. The Agency's notes do not list its contents, but brewing equipment comes in and out with the seasons, so a store within easy reach of every workroom makes sense, and the middle of the plot provides exactly that.
Why the Tool Storehouse Was Registered
The first thing the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes about the Ogawa Tool Storehouse is which way it faces. The nearby Nikaigura and Sankaigura are Hirairi, entered from the long side under the eaves. The Tool Storehouse, because of how it had to fit on the site, is Tsumairi, entered from the gable end, and its roof is hipped (Yosemune-zukuri).
The second is its threshold. The doorway is reached by a few steps, which the Agency, as with the Sankaigura, reads as protection against flooding. It was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape, and the practical thinking behind it, turning to fit a tight plot and lifting the floor to keep tools dry, is at the centre of that judgement.
Kurayoshi City's published list of nationally registered properties (2021) does not include the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse, so the current status of the registration needs checking.
What to Notice at the Ogawa Tool Storehouse
At the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse, look at the steps up to the door and how high the doorway sits. Carrying heavy equipment up and down every time was a cost the family accepted to keep the floor above the water.
The change of direction makes sense against the site plan. The Former Brewing Storehouse and the Pressing House line the Hachiya River at the back, and the Nikaigura, Sankaigura and Bottling Plant stand nearer the house. Set between them and facing a different way, the Tool Storehouse likely helped organise the paths between the buildings around it.
Seeing the Ogawa Tool Storehouse
The interior of the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse is not open. Surrounded by the Main House and the other storehouses in the middle of the plot, it 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. Ask at the front desk before entering.
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Q&A
- What is the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse?
- An early Showa-era storehouse for brewing equipment at the centre of the Ogawa family's estate in Kawaramachi, Kurayoshi. It is earthen-walled, 2 storeys, with a building area of 75 square meters, and was registered on October 9, 1998.
- What makes the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse distinctive?
- It is entered from the gable end, unlike the nearby Nikaigura and Sankaigura, which are entered from the long side. Its roof is hipped.
- Why is the door of the Ogawa Tool Storehouse up a flight of steps?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs believes it guards against flooding, like the raised floor of the Sankaigura.
- Under what criterion was the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse registered?
- As a building that contributes to the historic landscape. Seven Ogawa Sake Brewery buildings were registered together on the same day.
- Can visitors see inside the Ogawa Sake Brewery Tool Storehouse?
- 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 Tool Storehouse (小川酒造道具蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1969 Kawaramachi, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 31-0035 |
| Year Designated | Registered October 9, 1998 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen-walled storehouse, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 75 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 Dougugura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000895
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogawa Shuzo Sankaigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000894
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Ogawa Shuzo Nikaigura
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000893
- 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
