蔵くら元もと

く

ら

も

と

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Refers to a brewery, especially for sake or soy sauce, or the person who runs it. Common in contexts of traditional Japanese brewing.

この酒さけは地じ元もとの蔵くら元もとで造つくられています。
This sake is brewed at a local brewery.
蔵くら元もとを訪たずねて、醸じょう造ぞうの話はなしを聞きいた。
I visited the brewer and heard about the brewing process.

noun

warehouse overseer

archaic

Archaic term for a person in charge of a storehouse or warehouse. Not used in modern Japanese outside historical contexts.

江え戸ど時じ代だい、蔵くら元もとは幕ばく府ふの米こめ蔵ぐらを管かん理りしていた。
In the Edo period, the warehouse overseer managed the shogunate's rice storehouses.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を造つくる蔵くら元もとa brewery that makes ~ (a type of sake, soy sauce, etc.)
この蔵くら元もとは純じゅん米まい酒しゅを造つくっている。
This brewery makes junmai sake.
蔵くら元もと直ちょく送そうshipped directly from the brewery
このお酒さけは蔵くら元もと直ちょく送そうで新しん鮮せんです。
This sake is fresh because it's shipped directly from the brewery.
老舗しにせの蔵元くらもとa long-established, traditional brewery
この地ち方ほうには老舗しにせの蔵くら元もとがいくつもある。
There are several long-established breweries in this region.

Kanji

蔵storehouse, hide, own
元beginning, former time, origin
倉godown, warehouse, storehouse
本book, present, main

Related words

酒さか蔵ぐら sense 1
酒蔵 refers to the physical brewery building where sake is made, while 蔵元 can mean the brewery as a business or the person running it.
醸じょう造ぞう所しょ sense 1
醸造所 is a general, neutral term for any brewery or distillery (sake, beer, wine, etc.), whereas 蔵元 is specifically tied to traditional Japanese sake or soy sauce brewing.

Don't confuse with

杜と氏うじ sense 1
杜氏 is the master brewer who actually makes the sake, while 蔵元 is the owner or business entity that runs the brewery.

Built from

倉くら+元もと

Written forms

蔵くら元もとUsage31%
Standard kanji spelling for a brewery or brewer, especially for sake and soy sauce.
倉くら本もとUsage70%
Alternate kanji spelling; much less common than 蔵元 and may be confused with the surname 倉本.

Etymology

Compound of 蔵 (くら, 'storehouse') and 元 (もと, 'origin' or 'source'). Originally referred to the person in charge of a storehouse, later extended to mean a brewery or brewer, as sake breweries traditionally stored and aged their products in storehouses.