A Playful Entrance Wing with Lions and Mermaids
The Ryotei Sato Villa Entrance Wing (料亭さとう別荘玄関棟) is the entrance wing of a villa of 1925, altered in the mid Showa period and in 2001 in Ogori, Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 24, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof, covering 127 square metres; registration number 40-0189.
An Entrance Wing with a Western Room
The entrance wing of the Ryotei Sato villa faces south on a plot along an old highway (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has a hip-and-gable pantile roof and an L-shaped plan with a Western-style room projecting to the north-west.
Behind a neat exterior it is full of playful touches, from the clever layout of the entrance ceiling boards to unusual reliefs of tigers, lions and mermaids in the Western room (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape, a neat building scattered with playful details.
What to Look For
Look for the tiger, lion and mermaid reliefs in the Western room and the entrance ceiling (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
No official information on the restaurant's business or on visiting was found.
Q&A
- When was the entrance wing built?
- In 1925 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the Western room?
- Reliefs of tigers, lions and mermaids.
- What is its plan?
- An L, with the Western room projecting north-west.
- How is Ogori read?
- O-go-o-ri, according to the Japan Post postcode data.
- When was the Ryotei Sato Villa Entrance Wing registered?
- On June 24, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ryotei Sato Villa Entrance Wing (料亭さとう別荘玄関棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1281-1 Ogori, Ogori City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/06/24 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 127 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Ryotei Sato Villa Entrance Wing (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013897
Last verified: 2026.10.19
