The First Storehouse in Line
Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse (小嶋総本店一号蔵) is an early Meiji-period (1868–1882) earthen storehouse on the east side of the Kojima Sohonten sake brewery in Honmachi, Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, attached to the south end of the main house and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 6 March 2024. It was renovated between 1955 and 1964, and its registration number is 06-0211.
It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri building under a detached gable roof covered in iron sheet, with a building area of 146 square metres. Its long flank faces the street to the east.
The council's description sets the brewing and shipping buildings in three rows south of the house. No. 1 heads the eastern row, and the workshop runs west from the southern end of its west wall.
An Unusual Roof Frame
Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out something you cannot see from the road: the roof frame.
Paired rafters are pitched directly on the tie beams, with no ridge beam and no ridge posts. Struts catch the rafters at mid-span, and those struts are braced with through-rails running the length of the building. Above, the bamboo lath of the roof base is left exposed rather than hidden by a ceiling. The official text calls the arrangement distinctive.
Outside, the east wall carries a row of windows fitted with iron bars. The walls are white Shikkui plaster above a skirt of red-tiled Namako-kabe, a finish repeated on No. 2 Storehouse next door so that the two read as one along the street.
What to Look For
From the eastern street, watch the rhythm of the barred windows and the red-and-white band of tiles running beneath them for the full length of the wall.
Look too at the joint with the main house, where the tiled roof of the Taisho-era residence meets the iron-sheet roof of the older storehouse. The line between selling and brewing is written right there on the skyline.
Visiting
The Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse faces the street on the east, so its exterior can be seen from the public road. The interior is closed and the grounds cannot be entered; take photographs from the road.
The brewing floor opens once a year during the 360° Yonezawa Open Factory. Check that year's notice for which buildings are on the tour.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse built?
- In the early Meiji period, between 1868 and 1882. It was renovated between 1955 and 1964 and registered on 6 March 2024.
- What is unusual about the roof of Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse?
- Its paired rafters rise without a ridge beam or ridge posts, supported at mid-span by struts braced with longitudinal through-rails, and the lath roof base is left exposed.
- Where can I see Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse?
- From the street on the east side of the brewery. The interior is closed to the public.
- How big is Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse?
- It is a single-storey earthen storehouse with a building area of 146 square metres.
- Is there a sake tour or tasting near Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse?
- The Honmachi compound where Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse stands is normally closed, but the brewery's museum, Toko no Sakagura, a few minutes' walk away in Omachi, offers exhibits on sake-making and paid tastings. Check the Kojima Sohonten website for current hours and admission.
Basic Information
| Name | Kojima Sohonten No. 1 Storehouse (小嶋総本店一号蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 752 Honmachi 2-chome, Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture (and adjoining lots) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/03/06 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, iron-sheet roof, building area 146 square metres |
| Owner | Kojima Sohonten Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior visible from the public road (brewery open one day a year) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — 小嶋総本店一号蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014717
- Agency for Cultural Affairs press release — Council for Cultural Affairs report on registered buildings, 24 November 2023
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/93969901.html
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — List of buildings recommended for registration, 24 November 2023 (PDF)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/pdf/93969901_03.pdf
- Toko / Kojima Sohonten — Access
- https://www.sake-toko.co.jp/access/
- Toko / Kojima Sohonten — 360° Yonezawa Open Factory notice
- https://www.sake-toko.co.jp/news/4592/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
