Twelve architecture students from Tasmania spent two weeks in July studying the timber framework of Yoshino Shuzo, a family-run sake brewery founded in the 1870s, about two hours southeast of Tokyo. The brewery has withstood earthquakes, typhoons, war, industrialisation, centuries of sea spray and, most significantly, the passage of time itself.
The visit was organised by the University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) offshore studio, led by Professor Julian Worrall. Drawing on more than 15 years of research and practice in Japanese wooden architecture, Worrall asked students to devise new interventions that would not damage its heritage. “With its superlative traditional craftsmanship and dynamic contemporary culture, Japan is an outstanding place to inspire budding architects or designers,” Worrall said.
Beneath the rafters, students were then divided into teams, where they examined mortise-and-tenon joinery, measured beam spans, and recorded post alignments. They then translated their findings into 1:50 scale models and technical drawings. Their brief covered three core proposals:
- Converting two earthen-walled kura storehouses into on-site bathhouses and short-stay accommodation while retaining original wall thickness and openings;
- Transforming the underused attic into a community dining and exhibition space suspended within the existing timber frame;
- And activating the heritage gardens with modular seating and planters made from reclaimed sake crates.
“Whilst receiving a tour of the sake brewery, I was in awe of the stunning and culturally rich traditional Japanese buildings that were on the land,” said third-year student Abbey Chorley. “The opportunities for the site felt endless, and it was a privilege to create a proposal of possibilities for our lovely clients.”
When polished models arrived at Yoshino Shuzo’s counter, the 13th-generation owners, Sammy and Nao Yoshino, placed them in the shop window for visitor feedback. “Our biggest test is protecting these beams against earthquakes and typhoons without compromising their original form,” Sammy Yoshino explained. “We’ve already invested millions in seismic reinforcement and roof repairs to safeguard our legacy.” Final decisions will be made before the year’s end.
Beyond Katsuura, the students toured Tokyo’s timber-framed Meiji Shrine, inspected Expo 2025’s wooden pavilions in Osaka—including the world’s largest architecturally designed timber structure—and visited cedar-lined galleries on Naoshima as well as moss-covered temples in Takamatsu. Back in Hobart, UTAS will integrate insights from Yoshino Shuzo into its curriculum and research. The offshore studio returns next July to study timber architecture and heritage regeneration in Vietnam and Morocco, reinforcing the university’s commitment to training architects who bridge tradition and innovation.
