Kawagoe City Industry and Tourism Center Koedo Kurari Guide

Kawagoe City Industry and Tourism Center (小江戸蔵里) occupies the former Kagamiyama Sake Brewery in Shintomicho, Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture. The city acquired the land and buildings after the brewery closed, and the complex opened as a commercial and tourism facility on October 1, 2010, with Machizukuri Kawagoe Co., Ltd. as the designated manager. The site repurposes three historic brewery warehouses (kura) from Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras that are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

Seasonal character and built fabric

The complex is organised around three historical kura and an open plaza; the buildings themselves—earthen-walled kura and a wooden kura with tiled roofs—define the site’s material character year round. The Meiji and Showa kura are constructed as earthen storehouses while the Taisho kura is a wooden structure; all three retain traditional tiled roofs. The material differences reflect their construction eras and are the chief architectural qualities carried through every season.

Origins and civic purpose

Kagamiyama Sake Brewery began in 1875 and remained the last operating brewery of its kind in Kawagoe until it ceased operations in 2000. Citizens urged preservation and reuse of the brewery buildings, and Kawagoe City acquired the property and established the Kawagoe City Industry and Tourism Center to conserve the buildings while promoting local industry and tourism. The facility’s stated aims are to preserve those historic structures, introduce and sell regional products, and provide a place for exchange between residents and visitors.

Key dates from the site’s transition are: the three kura were registered as tangible cultural properties on March 7, 2008; the administrative establishment of the center took place on April 1, 2010; and the facility opened on October 1, 2010.

The three kura: Meiji, Taisho and Showa (registered cultural properties)

Each of the three main kura has its own construction era, structure and floor area:

• Meiji Kura: an earthen-walled (kura) two-storey building with parts single-storey, listed with a floor area of 419 m² and dated to the mid-Meiji period (built between 1868 and 1911). It is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property (registration number 11-0113) as an industrial-era building that contributes to the national historical landscape.

• Taisho Kura: a wooden two-storey building with some single-storey sections, with a floor area of 305 m² and dated to the early Taisho period (1912–1925). It is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property (registration number 11-0114) for the same landscape contribution.

• Showa Kura: an earthen-walled two-storey building with a floor area of 232 m², constructed in 1931 (Showa 6). It is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property (registration number 11-0115) as well.

A bottle-filling workshop stands on site as a single-storey wooden building of 278 m²; its construction date is not specified in the available record. The three kura were collectively recognised on March 7, 2008 for their contribution to the country’s historic townscape.

Shops, tasting and exhibition spaces

The centre repurposes the three kura for distinct visitor functions while retaining their historic fabric.

• Meiji Kura (“omiyage-dokoro”): used as the souvenir and retail area, this kura houses retailers associated with the former brewery and local producers. Merchants on site include a Kagamiyama-branded sake shop, Kurazukuri Honpo, a sweet-potato specialist, a Kura Cafe serving light food and soft drinks, and a Kurari Selection shop offering sweets, foods and folk crafts.

• Taisho Kura (“makanai-dokoro”): used for dining, this kura contains a restaurant named Hasshutei.

• Showa Kura (“kikizake-dokoro”): dedicated to sake tasting and fermentation-related displays; the space includes a paid tasting system that covers 35 breweries in Saitama Prefecture and a fermentation-bar corner for tasting and learning about fermentation products.

• Exhibition Kura (tsudoi-dokoro): a meeting room and gallery space that connects to the plaza, intended for community gatherings, exhibitions and events. The plaza adjoining the kura provides a hard-surfaced area for outdoor activities.

The centre’s retail and tasting functions are presented as part of the reuse strategy for these former industrial buildings; the complex introduces and sells regional products tied to Kawagoe’s industrial and food culture.

Site layout, dimensions and access

The property sits at 1-10-1 Shintomicho, Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture. Site and building measurements from the facility record are:

• Site area: 3,064.09 m²
• Total floor area: 1,234 m²
• Meiji Kura: 419 m²; Taisho Kura: 305 m²; Showa Kura: 232 m²
• Bottle-filling workshop: 278 m²
• Plaza: 500 m²

The site is located within a commercial zone, with a building coverage ratio of 80% and a floor-area ratio of 400%. It lies in a quasi-fire-protection area.

Parking and vehicle access are limited on site: the general site lists one parking space for persons with disabilities, while the exhibition kura notes that there is no passenger-car parking but space for two tour buses.

Rail access is concrete and local: Hon-Kawagoe Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line is a three-minute walk from the centre; Kawagoe Station on the JR Kawagoe Line and on the Tobu Tojo Line is a fifteen-minute walk. For highway access the nearest interchange noted is Kawagoe IC on the Kanetsu Expressway.

FAQ

What is the facility’s common name?

The centre’s nickname is Koedo Kurari.

When did the facility open?

The facility opened on October 1, 2010.

What historic buildings form the centre?

Three former Kagamiyama Sake Brewery kura from Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras that are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan.

How close is the nearest station?

Hon-Kawagoe Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line is a three-minute walk, and Kawagoe Station on the JR Kawagoe Line and Tobu Tojo Line is a fifteen-minute walk.