The reception room facing the forecourt
The Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room (神谷家住宅座敷, Kamiya-ke Jūtaku Zashiki) is an early Meiji reception wing in Izumicho, Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture, registered as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 April 2008. Single-storey timber with a floor area of 85 square metres, it stands towards the southern end of a south-facing compound, addressing the forecourt.
The roof is hipped and tiled, entered from the gable end, with eaves running round the building. Presenting the gable rather than the long side as the front gives the elevation more apparent depth, which suits a building meant for receiving guests.
Inside are two eight-mat rooms with a tea room attached. The Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room carries registration number 23-0289, the first of the fourteen numbers issued to this estate, and was extended during the Taisho period.
Two rooms for two kinds of guest
The registration criterion is contribution to the historic landscape of Japan. This household kept two spaces for receiving visitors: this one, facing the forecourt, and the 147-square-metre inner wing towards the north of the plot.
Their positions explain the division. A guest who came through the gate would be shown into the room by the forecourt; the inner wing served closer acquaintances and more formal gatherings. Maintaining two reception rooms of different character indicates the range of people a family like this expected to entertain.
Both have a tea room attached. The one beside the Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room is built of selected timber and finished to a high standard, which shows that hospitality and tea were not treated as separate activities here. The main house at the centre of the compound is thought to be mid-Edo in date and holds a separate status as a City of Anjo Designated Cultural Property from 1986.
What to look for
The circular window catches the eye first. A shitajimado is made by leaving a patch of wall unplastered so the bamboo lattice beneath shows through, a device belonging to sukiya and tea architecture. Cutting one as a full circle is a bolder move than the usual rectangle. In the Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room this light gesture shares the room with formal alcove fittings.
Those fittings deserve attention too. An alcove and staggered shelves declare the rank of a room built to receive people. For two rooms of eight mats each, the density of joinery work is high.
The attached tea room uses selected timber, chosen by a different standard from the material that went into the storehouses, and the air of the space changes accordingly. The eaves running round the exterior moderate sun and rain from the forecourt while setting up the relationship between veranda and garden.
Visiting and access
The Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room is part of a private home and is not open to the public. Facing the inner forecourt, it is difficult to see from outside. Visitors can look at the perimeter of the estate, its gate and fences. Photograph from the public road and not through the gate. The City of Anjo makes the same request regarding historic buildings across the city, most of which are privately held.
Take the JR Tokaido Line to Anjo or Mikawa-Anjo Station, then the city Ankuru bus on the Nanbu line to Kaminokiri or Izumi Jozanen. Services are limited, so check times in advance. Seven minutes' walk south is Jozanen, where the city has recreated something of the atmosphere of Shisendo in Kyoto on the birthplace of its builder, the early Edo poet Ishikawa Jozan. Open 9:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:30, closed Mondays with the following day substituted for a national holiday, and over the new year.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Aichi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room
- [ Nagoya Castle & Atsuta Shrine History Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I visit the Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room?
- No. It belongs to a private home, and because it faces the inner forecourt it is hard to see from the public road.
- What is the layout of the Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room?
- Two eight-mat rooms with an attached tea room. The reception rooms have a circular lattice window and formal alcove fittings.
- How old and how large is it?
- Early Meiji, extended in the Taisho period, single-storey timber of 85 square metres under a hipped tiled roof entered from the gable end.
- How does it differ from the inner reception wing?
- This one is early Meiji, faces the forecourt and covers 85 square metres; the inner wing is late Meiji, stands to the north and covers 147 square metres. Both include a tea room.
- When was it registered?
- On 18 April 2008, under number 23-0289, alongside thirteen other buildings on the estate.
Basic Information
| Name | Kamiya Family Residence Tatami Room (神谷家住宅座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 13 Kaminokiri, Izumicho, Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2008 (Heisei 20), registered |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, floor area 85 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public; exterior of the estate visible from the public road |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Kamiya Family Residence Reception Room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007038
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kamiya Family Residence Reception Room
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191760
- City of Anjo: Historic Buildings
- https://www.city.anjo.aichi.jp/shisei/shisetsu/kyoikushisetsu/maibun-structure.html
- Anjo City Cultural Properties Catalogue: Kamiya Family Residence Main House
- https://www.katch.ne.jp/~anjomuse/bunkazai_zuroku/kamiyake_jyuutaku/index.html
- City of Anjo: Jozanen Garden
- https://www.city.anjo.aichi.jp/shisei/shisetsu/kyoikushisetsu/jozanen.html
Last verified: 2026.08.30