A Storehouse Turned Tea Retreat in Fukui
The Tangando Soan (丹巌洞草庵) is a domain physician's retreat of around 1846 in Kamogawara, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 1, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey storehouse-style building with a single-storey timber part and a tiled roof, covering 69 square metres; registration number 18-0156.
A Domain Physician's Retreat
Tangando Soan is said to have been built as the retreat of Yamamoto Zuian, physician to the Fukui domain (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A two-storey storehouse is joined by a single-storey timber part with a six-mat tea room, giving a complex plan.
Upstairs the ceiling is shaped like the hull of a boat, and walls and ceiling are papered with fusuma paper to look plastered (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Free of the usual idea of a storehouse, the interior is finished in the sukiya manner.
The Fukui City Tourism Association says that Matsudaira Shungaku, Yokoi Shonan, Hashimoto Sanai and Nakane Yukie came here and held secret talks while boating. Traces of a quarry for Shakudani stone remain on the grounds.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, a storehouse finished inside in the sukiya manner, free of the usual idea of a storehouse.
What to Look For
Look for the boat-hull ceiling and the walls and ceiling papered to look plastered (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
According to the Fukui City Tourism Association it is now a ryotei restaurant. Those wishing only to look round may visit in the morning if it suits, by prior arrangement. The address is 1-5-12 Kamogawara, Fukui City.
Q&A
- When was Tangando Soan built?
- Around 1846 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Whose retreat was it?
- Yamamoto Zuian, physician to the Fukui domain, by tradition.
- What is the interior like?
- A boat-hull ceiling and papered walls in the sukiya manner.
- Can it be visited?
- Sometimes in the morning, by prior arrangement.
- When was the Tangando Soan registered?
- On August 1, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tangando Soan (丹巌洞草庵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-555 Kamogawara, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/08/01 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey storehouse with single-storey timber part, tiled roof, 69 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Visits by prior arrangement (Fukui City Tourism Association) |
References
- Tangando Soan (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011125
- Tangando, Fukuiro (Fukui City Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://fuku-iro.jp/spot/48/
Last verified: 2026.10.18