Historic Merchant Buildings: Fukunishi Honten and Suehiro Sake Brewery

Two historic commercial buildings in Aizu-Wakamatsu offer a look at how the city rebuilt its economy after the Boshin War. Fukunishi Honten, dating from 1914, was the home of a prosperous wholesaling family. Their private quarters are open to visitors, and the complex includes storehouses coated in rare black plaster made with soot from burnt pinewood, a sign of wealth when most merchants had white warehouses. Suehiro Sake Brewery, established in 1850 and now in its seventh generation, offers guided tours of its traditional yamahai brewing process, a tasting bar, and a café. The brewery supplies sake to Toshogu Shrine in Nikko.