A Former Pleasure-Quarter House of About 1897
The Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building (新むつ旅館本館) is a two-storey timber building of about 1897 in the Konakano Shinchi district of Konakano, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on May 15, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a two-storey timber building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 177 square metres; registration number 02-0052.
From Brothel House to Inn
According to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, the Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building began as the Shin-Mutsu-ro, opened in the Konakano Shinchi pleasure quarter established in 1895.
Soon after the war it was given an entrance under a cusped karahafu gable, reaching almost its present appearance, and in 1957 a reception counter was added beside the hearth and the house was converted from a brothel into an inn (Aomori Prefecture).
Why It Was Registered
The Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building was registered as a structure that would not be easy to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its tall proportions and distinctive details, including the carved work at the eaves of the ground floor and the lights mounted on the projecting beams under the upper eaves.
What to Look For
It is a two-storey timber building about six bays wide, with a gabled sheet-iron roof and its entrance on the long side (hirairi); the upper floor holds five guest rooms in three rows (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
At the centre is a stairwell lit by a skylight, with a Y-shaped staircase of Western design (Agency for Cultural Affairs). From outside, look at the carved ground-floor eaves and the row of lights on the upper projecting beams.
Visiting
According to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, only the exterior of the Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building is open to view, and the owner is a private individual. Enquiries go to the Hachinohe City Board of Education social education section (0178-43-9465).
The address is 110-1 Konakano 6-chome, Hachinohe City (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Q&A
- When was the Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building built?
- In about 1897 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was it originally?
- The Shin-Mutsu-ro, a house in the Konakano Shinchi pleasure quarter; it became an inn in 1957 (Aomori Prefecture).
- What are its features?
- A skylit stairwell with a Western-style Y-shaped staircase, carved ground-floor eaves and lights on the upper projecting beams (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit it?
- Only the exterior is open to view (Aomori Prefecture).
- When was it registered?
- On May 15, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building (新むつ旅館本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 110-1 Konakano 6-chome, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/05/15 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, two storeys, sheet-iron roof, building area 177 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Exterior only |
References
- Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006116
- Shin-Mutsu Ryokan Main Building (Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/e-bunka/torokuyukei_52.html
Last verified: 2026.10.14