The Two-Storey Brewing Hall
Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse (小嶋総本店五号蔵) is a two-storey brewing storehouse of 1922 on the south side of the Kojima Sohonten sake brewery in Honmachi, Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, south of No. 4, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 6 March 2024 under number 06-0215.
A Dozo-zukuri building with a north-south ridge and a detached iron-sheet gable roof, it covers 183 square metres, the largest of the five registered storehouses and the only one with two full storeys.
It is also the one with a precise date. Nos. 1 to 4 are recorded only by period, late Edo or early, middle and late Meiji; No. 5 is fixed to a single year.
Brewing Below, Storage Above
Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits it with shaping the south side of the compound.
The door is in the north gable, facing No. 4. The south gable faces the road and is pierced by windows. The building stands on a tall cut-stone plinth with a timber sill, and its walls are finished in Shikkui plaster. The official description does not say why the plinth is so high.
The ground floor served as a fermenting room and the upper floor as storage. The roof is carried on a king post truss, continuing the method adopted in No. 4 and No. 2.
What to Look For
From the road on the south you get Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse head-on: a white plastered gable with its windows, and the long level line of stone below.
With its second storey it stands noticeably taller than the other storehouses, and this gable is what closes the southern edge of the compound.
Visiting
The Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse faces the road on the south, 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. 5 Storehouse
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse built?
- In 1922. It was registered on 6 March 2024.
- How is Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse different from the others?
- It is the only two-storey brewing storehouse among those registered and the largest, at 183 square metres, with a fermenting room below and storage above.
- Where can I see Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse?
- Its south gable faces the public road on the south side, where the exterior can be seen. The interior is closed.
- How is Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse built?
- Two-storey dozo-zukuri construction on a tall cut-stone plinth, with a detached iron-sheet gable roof over a king post truss.
- Is there a sake tour or tasting near Kojima Sohonten No. 5 Storehouse?
- The Honmachi compound where Kojima Sohonten No. 5 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. 5 Storehouse (小嶋総本店五号蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Two-storey dozo-zukuri storehouse, iron-sheet roof, building area 183 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 — 小嶋総本店五号蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014721
- 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
