Toshima-ya museum、豊島屋資料館（長野県）

The museum shows us collections of a wealthy man who was an owner of sake brewery and gas stations. So, there are interesting drinking vessels. It is in Nagano prefecture (central Japan).

長野県岡谷市で酒造会社（ブランド：神渡）とガソリンスタンドを経営する豊島屋さんのお宝蒐集館です。酒宴に使う楽しい酒器がありましたよ。

I joined the tour and visited the museum.

松本市立博物館の友の会ツアーで伺いました。ご自宅の並びに資料館があります。

Sake barrels and bottles are displayed at the entrance.

玄関には酒樽や製品が並びます。

The tool in center was used to carry drinking vessels and so on. A servant shouldered the bar and probably went picnic with the owner. (Three round shape items were used to catch river shrimp.)

銚子などを担いで持ち出す道具です。ピクニック用でしょうね。（間に３個並べられているのは、えび兜という川に沈めてえびを捕る道具です）

Sake bottles and dolls across Japan are in the case. The dolls related to sake tend to be funny like the one at lower right, I think.

各地の徳利や人形が展示された棚。お酒に関する品はひょうきんなものが多いでしょうかね。

Drinking vessels are exhibited. 酒器の棚です。

The most attractive one is the 12-piece cup set, which the volumes of cups vary. A participant rolls the dodecagon dice (lower right) and drinks sake from the selected cup. I’m sure it livens up a party, however, it’s not good for health. It is said that it was used in Kochi prefecture.

目玉は、十二月盃（じゅうにがつはい）。大きさが異なる12個の盃のセットで、12角形のサイコロ（右下）を振って出た月の盃で酒を飲む趣向。盛り上がるけど酔いそう。ネット情報では、高知で使われているようで、独楽を回し倒れた方向でサイコロを振る人を決めるようです。

All of them are sake cups, but cannot be put on the table because of shape or hole at the bottom. You have to drink all up. Those are also used in Kochi.

すべてお猪口です。可盃とはお酒を注がれたら飲み干さないと置けない盃です。おかめ・ひょっとこ盃は口が穴になっていて、飲み干すまで指で押えないといけません。こちらも高知で使われているようです。

Armors and helmets of well-known warlords are displayed. After the WW2, many lord families sold their valuables to pay general wealth tax. The owner was afraid that those treasures were sold to foreign countries. Therefore, he bought some of them and open them to the public.

こちらでは名だたる武将の武器甲冑が展示されています。戦後、莫大な財産税に苦しんだ旧華族（大名家）が書画骨董を手放してしまう中で、当主が海外流出を憂い、買い求めました。

The table on the left was used when they started the brewery. They have sold not only sake but also gasoline. The wooden plates in center were attached on a train when the oil distributes in the area visited the oil field; the owner liked keeping various things.

創業当時の帳場（左）があります。豊島屋は日本石油の販売代理店も務め、壁には「越後油田視察団」として乗り込んだ汽車に付けたプレートもありました（破線内）。当主は色々な品を残しておく方だったのですね。

Visited in September, 2025

Official website: https://www.kk-toshimaya.co.jp/corporate/rekishikan.html (in Japanese)、accessed in November, 2025

Previous post (museum in the same city): Okaya Silk Museum、岡谷蚕糸博物館

Next post (museum in the same prefecture): Former Kaichi School、旧開智学校校舎(Coming soon)

Comments

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