A Room Lined with Paintings by Ōchi Shōkan
The Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room (旧八木商店本店座敷) is a single storey guest wing of 1918 in Hashihama, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on October 14, 2021. It is built of wood under a tiled roof, with a floor area of 75 square meters, and stands immediately west of the shop that fronts the street.
The roof takes the Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable form with Sangawara-buki pantiles. South of the linked Zashiki rooms runs an inner aisle, and outside that an Engawa veranda. Room, aisle, veranda, glazed doors, garden: the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room stacks thin layers of space one behind the next, so the quality of light shifts with every seat you take.
The ceiling is unusually high for a single storey building, about 3.3 meters according to the museum. The Tokonoma alcove post is cut from hemlock with straight grain showing on all four faces, and fine timber appears throughout. Above the ceiling the roof is carried on a truss-like frame, a Western idea sitting over thoroughly Japanese rooms.
The Grounds for Registration
The wing was registered under the criterion for structures contributing to the historic character of the national landscape, as register number 38-0157. It was listed on October 14, 2021, in the hundredth round of registrations, alongside the shop, residence wing, inner storehouse, detached wing and front wall of the same property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the building a good example of modern Japanese style domestic architecture. The plan of linked reception rooms is traditional; the roof framing and the wall of glazed doors along the veranda are not. A single wing shows what a Taishō era businessman chose to adopt and what he chose to keep.
The paintings on the sliding paper and wooden doors are by Ōchi Shōkan, a painter born in Imabari who trained under Yokoyama Taikan. The museum records that Yagi Kamesaburō and Yano Michiyasu were among his patrons. Because its value rests on the carpentry and the paintings together, the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room has a character of its own within the compound.
What to Look For
Look at the glass. The museum counts 45 glazed doors of Taishō period blown glass along the corridors facing the inner and rear gardens. The surface undulates very slightly, so the trees outside ripple as a door slides. Modern float glass gives nothing of the kind.
The alcove post repays a closer look. Straight grain on four faces can only be taken in small quantity from a large log, and the corridor boards use the same hemlock cut. In this wing the least conspicuous surfaces carry the highest grade of timber.
Then sit down. Standing, you see the wooded hill behind the house; kneeling on the Tatami, the view closes to the veranda edge and the garden stones. One movement makes the design intention plain.
The garden itself was registered as a national Registered Monument, Place of Scenic Beauty, on September 18, 2025. It is said to have been laid out from about 1915 over ten years, and the ground in front of this wing is its principal outlook.
Visiting
Bookings for the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room are handled by the Yagi Shoten Honten Museum. Ring 0898-41-5101 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on any day other than a Sunday, Monday or public holiday, when the house is shut. Reservations are the rule and unannounced visitors may be refused. The charge is 1,000 yen a head, and parties above 10 should discuss arrangements first.
Eating, drinking and smoking are ruled out throughout, garden included. Hiring rooms for a tea gathering, a rest or a photography session is settled individually, so if you hope to use these rooms or take pictures, say so when you book.
The nearest railway stop is Hashihama on the JR Yosan Line, roughly 15 minutes on foot to the north. Buses for Hashihama depart from in front of Imabari Station. A car park sits north of the museum entrance. These rooms lie deep in the grounds and are not visible from the road.
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Q&A
- Who painted the sliding doors in the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room?
- They are the work of Ōchi Shōkan, a painter from Imabari who studied under Yokoyama Taikan. The museum records that Yagi Kamesaburō was one of his patrons.
- Can visitors enter the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room?
- Yes, as part of the Yagi Shoten Honten Museum. Visits are by advance reservation on 0898-41-5101, and admission is 1,000 yen per person.
- When was the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room built and registered?
- It dates from 1918 and became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) on October 14, 2021, under register number 38-0157.
- What are the opening days for the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room?
- The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. On open days the telephone line is answered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Can the Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room be hired for a tea gathering?
- Room hire for tea gatherings, rest or photography is arranged individually. Raise the request when you make your reservation.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room |
|---|---|
| Location | 406-1 Hashihama Ni-chome, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on October 14, 2021 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, floor area 75 square meters |
| Owner | Fujitaka Kosan Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open as the Yagi Shoten Honten Museum by advance reservation; admission 1,000 yen |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties, Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Reception Room (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014108
- Former Yagi Shoten Main Store Garden Registered as a National Registered Monument, Place of Scenic Beauty (Imabari City, Division of Cultural Promotion)
- https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/bunka/info/017/
Last verified: 2026.09.04