An Ordinary Storehouse, Turned Sideways to the Street
Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse (樽平酒造土蔵, Dozō) is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse in Nakakomatsu, Kawanishi Town, Yamagata Prefecture, built in the late Meiji period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 5 November 1997 under registration number 06-0014.
It is a Dozo-zukuri building, 2 storeys, with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 85 square metres. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a storehouse of standard size, unlike the long brewing buildings such as the Middle Storehouse. This is the familiar family storehouse of Japanese towns and farms, not a brewhouse stretched to fit a production line.
It stands parallel to the street and shows its long side, the hira, to passers-by. It shares the Main House address, 2886 Nakakomatsu, on the west side of the highway next to the East Storehouse.
Why It Was Registered
The Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency points to the contrast between its light Okiyane roof and its walls.
An okiyane is a separately framed roof set on top of the plastered body of the storehouse rather than built into it. Heavy box below, light roof above: on a small two-storey building the difference gives the whole a crisp outline.
The Agency adds that the wall running on from the gable of the East Storehouse is widely known as a landmark along the highway. The East Storehouse offers the street a triangle; the Storehouse offers a long wall. Together they read as one view.
What to Look For
Cross to the far side of the highway. From there the long wall and its roof take in the East Storehouse gable in the same glance.
Up close, look at the junction of roof and wall. The lightness of the okiyane shows where the roof seems to sit just clear of the top of the wall.
It is among the smallest buildings on the premises and yet gives the street one of its longest runs of wall. That mismatch between size and presence is what makes it worth a look.
Visiting the Storehouse
The exterior can be seen and photographed from the highway at any time. There is no announced public opening of the interior; ask when booking a brewery tour if it is included.
Directions and booking details are on the Taruhei Sake Brewery page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamagata
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse
- [ Yamadera Temple & Zao Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- How old is the Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Meiji period.
- What should I look at on the Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse?
- The contrast between its light okiyane roof and the plastered walls, and the way its long wall continues the line from the gable of the East Storehouse along the highway.
- How does the Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse differ from the other storehouses?
- It is a standard-sized storehouse of 85 square metres over 2 storeys, rather than a long brewing building like the Middle Storehouse, and it turns its long side to the street.
- Can I go inside the Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse?
- There is no announced public opening of the interior. The exterior can be seen from the highway at any time.
- What kind of cultural property is the Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse?
- A Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registered on 5 November 1997 as number 06-0014.
Basic Information
| Name | Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse (樽平酒造土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2886 Nakakomatsu, Kawanishi-machi, Higashiokitama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building); registration number 06-0014 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1997/11/5 (Heisei 9) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Dozo-zukuri, 2 storeys, sheet-metal roof; building area 85 square metres |
| Owner | Taruhei Shuzo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable from the highway; no announced public opening of the interior |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database of Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Taruhei Sake Brewery Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000326
- Kawanishi Town: Taruhei Sake Brewery and Kikusui Kogeikan
- https://www.town.kawanishi.yamagata.jp/kyoiku/bunka/taruhei.html
- Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association: Taruhei Shuzo
- https://japansake.or.jp/sakagura/jp/yamagata/taruhei-shuzou/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
