Brewery Buildings
About the Brewery Buildings
Six buildings in the brewery were constructed during the Taisho period (1912-1926) and have been designated as registered tangible cultural property by the Agency of Cultural Affairs and important landscape architecture by Hachinohe City. The landscape in which the mud-walled and redbrick warehouses become one with the Niida River is a symbol of the Minato Kawaguchi area of Hachinohe that has flourished as a center of trade and commerce in the modern age.
Along with being a symbol of the region since they were built in the Taisho period, the buildings are also popular due to their mixture of Japanese and Western architectural styles. Based on the immense scale of the construction, meanwhile, the buildings clearly show the affluence of modern industry.
i. North Building
The north building was completed in 1916. It has a weighed-roof and a Western style roof truss structure. It is the largest mud-walled sake brewery building in Aomori Prefecture and currently serves as a storage warehouse. The names of the workmen who were involved in the construction of the building have also been recorded, which shows the laborers who used to practice their craft in this area held the building in high esteem.
ii. West Building
The west building is a two-story mud-walled structure with an area of 182.40㎡, a beam length of 19.10m and a crossbeam length of 9.55m. It also features a gabled roof, an entrance parallel to the ridge of the roof, and iron plated batten seam roofing.
Construction of the west building was completed around 1919. It has a weighed-roof and a Western style roof truss structure. A portion of the second floor also features an atrium. Like the north building, it is a mud-walled brewery facility that currently serves as a storage warehouse.
iii. Brick Building
Main Section
The main section of the brick building has a beam length of 28.725m and a crossbeam length of 11.49m. The main building also has a north wing with a crossbeam length of 11.52m and a beam length of 5.745m. The structure is two stories tall with a small attic that currently serves as the third floor.
Annex
The brick building annex has a beam length of 13.305m and a crossbeam length of 5.720m. The first basement level is made of brick and reinforced with steel frames. The first floor is also made of brick while the second floor is made of wood with concrete blocks in some areas.
The entire area of the structure is 474.07㎡. The roof slopes in one direction (formerly a gabled roof) and has iron plated batten seam roofing (formerly tiled roofing). The structure currently serves as a sake brewery.
The main section of the brick building is famous for its unique structure which features Scottish steel crossbeams placed at 1.8m intervals. These steel crossbeams have the words COLD SCOTLAND LANARKSHIRE STEEL engraved into them. Steel beams with engravings such as these are quite rare in the private sector, making this structure a valuable cultural asset. Construction on the brick building was completed in 1924.
ⅳ. Main House
The main house is made of wood and has a beam length of 15.544m and a crossbeam length of 14.847m. The west wing (kitchen) has a beam length of 4.6965m and a crossbeam length of 6.1205m. The north wing (restroom section) has a beam length of 2.727m and a crossbeam length of 1.212m. The area of the entire structure is 246.77㎡. Parts of the building are two stories tall, and the structure features a gabled roof, tiled roofing, and a reception counter. It currently serves as an office and residence.
The main house was built with a traditional wooden frame construction method and the primary material is zelkova wood. Therefore, the structure has a strong yet flexible construction that is in great shape considering the fact that it has been through several large earthquakes. In addition, a tataki cement floor has been placed under the floorboards of the ground level so as to help mitigate humidity. Seen from Hon-cho, the building looks like a traditional Japanese townhouse, but it also has a two-tiered crossarm structure, known as segai-zukuri in Japanese, that gives the building a majestic yet delicate appearance. The main house was most likely built at the end of the Taisho period.
ⅴ. Library
The library is a two-story mud-walled structure with an area of 88.47㎡, a beam length of 11.46m, and a crossbeam length of 7.64m. It also features a gabled roof, an entrance parallel to the ridge of the roof, and copper roofing.
Construction of the library was completed around 1919. It has a weighed-roof and a Western style roof truss structure. The first floor serves as a storeroom for household furniture and utensils and the second floor is a Japanese style guest room.
ⅵ． Brick Wall
The brick wall is 14.760m long, has a gabled roof and tiled roofing. It was built around the same time as the brick building and main house.
＜ Value as Cultural Property ＞
The main house uses traditional construction methods while the buildings in the central area of the brewery, the north building, library, and west building, take the shape of old mud-walled warehouses with Western style roof truss structures that are more conducive to larger structures. In addition, the Western style brick building uses Scottish steel frames.
Each of these buildings, which were constructed between 1916 and the end of the Taisho period, has its own unique characteristics, thus creating an eclectic mix of architectural styles in the same area that cannot be found anywhere else. This is what makes the area an important and extremely valuable cultural property. We can also see how symbolic these buildings have been in Minato-machi ever since they were built.
Writing： ふるとちかこ建築設計室
Our Commitment to Mecenat
Mecenat is a French word that means patronage for the arts and culture. The word is derived from the name of Maecenas, a senior official who served Emperor Augustus during the early days of the Roman Empire. Maecenas supported and looked after poets and artists who were active in the time period.
Hachinohe Shuzo Co., Ltd. is actively engaged in the mecenat movement in order to make a positive contribution to society and promote the arts and culture. We make use of a brick hall annexed to our main brewery in Hachinohe’s Minato-machi and the north building to host art exhibitions, concerts, and many other events. We also hope to support the arts and culture by synergizing these activities with Japanese sake and our brewery and, ultimately, developing these ties so as to help invigorate the local community.
Facility Rental
Two spaces are available to rent at Hachinohe Shuzo for events such as concerts and exhibitions and other activities. Please contact us about availability.
1. Brick Hall (Area: About 50㎡, Capacity: 40 seats maximum)
2. North Building, 2nd Floor (Area: About 120㎡, Capacity: Around 80 people maximum)
Rental times, prices, and other items will be adjusted on a case by case basis.
We would be happy to provide or sell sake at your event if you so desire.
Our Commitment to This is MECENAT
Our activities are certified by This is MECENAT, a movement developed by the Association of Corporate Support of the Arts as a way to deepen understanding and increase interest in activities promoting the arts and culture in order to create a rich and creative society.
See https://mecenat-mark.org for more information.
Brewery Tour Information
We currently offer tours of our sake brewery to show visitors the facilities and the brewing process. Our goal is to help the public become more familiar with the history of sake-brewing in Hachinohe and the culture of Japanese sake.
- Time
- Monday through Friday all year round (Saturdays also open in winter)
- Tour Times
- 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (tours last about one hour)
- Tour Price
- ¥500 (includes sake tasting)
- Access
- 20 minutes by car from the Hachinohe IC
30 minutes by car from JR Hachinohe Station
5 minutes on foot from Mutsuminato Station on the JR Hachinohe Line
Sightseeing Information
Information about the entire Hachinohe area:
https://hachinohe-kanko.com/english/
About Ganja Natural Sake Club
Revitalize the natural rice paddies of Kanisawa,
and experience brewing sake with natural rice.
Only members of the Ganja Natural Sake Club can take part in these activities
as they work together to produce an original natural sake.