The Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor
The Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor (湯之島館渡り廊下, Yunoshima-kan Watari Roka) is a 1931 passage linking the entrance building and the main building of the Yunoshimakan inn in Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2010.
It is a single-storey timber structure with a copper roof, 2.2 metres across and 13 metres long measured along its bend, with a building area of 28 square metres. Its east end joins the west side of the main building; walk west and you reach the Yunoshimakan Entrance.
Of the three registered buildings it is the smallest. Yet this is the passage guests take from the entrance to their rooms in the main building, so the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor does a great deal to set the tone of a stay.
A Passage Designed as an Approach
The Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, under register number 21-0178.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a skilfully designed approach to a main building meant for enjoying the view through all four seasons. A plain passage between two buildings would not need this much care in its finishes. The point of the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor was to lead guests towards the main building while showing them the trees outside.
Red Walls, Lattice and Cedar Bark
The ceiling is Keshō-yaneura, meaning the underside of the roof is left exposed instead of being hidden behind a flat ceiling. The slope of the roof becomes the shape of the ceiling, which gives a corridor only 2.2 metres wide some height overhead.
The wall finish changes from top to bottom. The narrow band of wall above the windows is finished in red. The windows are glazed sliding doors with a timber lattice fixed on the outside. Below them, the dado is faced with cedar bark. The red band, the wooden lattice and the bark run in horizontal bands along the whole length of the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor.
The inn also draws attention to the windows. Their frames follow the angle of the corridor, and in places the glass itself has been cut on the diagonal. The old sheet glass has a slight ripple, so the trees outside seem to waver a little as you pass.
Seeing the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor
The Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor is an indoor passage that overnight guests and day-plan visitors walk on their way from the entrance to the main building. The inn's self-guided photo route for guests, Yunoshimakan Meguri, lists it as the third stop.
Look for the angled window frames around the bend, and for the trees wavering through the old glass. The red band above and the cedar bark below mirror each other across the windows, so step back a little to take in the whole wall.
Other guests use the corridor, so keep to one side if you stop for photographs. Directions and the terms of the day plans are on the Yunoshimakan page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor?
- It is inside the Yunoshimakan inn in Yunoshima, Gero City, linking the entrance building and the main building. Its east end joins the west side of the main building.
- When was the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor built and registered?
- The Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor was built in 1931 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2010, together with the entrance and the main building, under register number 21-0178.
- How big is the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor?
- It is 2.2 metres across and 13 metres long including its bend, with a building area of 28 square metres. It is a single-storey timber structure with a copper roof.
- What should I look at in the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor?
- The exposed roof structure overhead, the red band of wall above the windows, the lattice outside the glass doors and the cedar bark below them. The inn also recommends the angled window frames and the rippled old glass.
- Can I walk through the Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor without staying, and may I take photos?
- The Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor is inside the inn, so it is open to overnight guests and day-plan visitors. The inn lists it as a photo stop on Yunoshimakan Meguri. For day plans, contact Yunoshimakan on 0576-25-4126, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Basic Information
| Name | Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor |
|---|---|
| Location | 625 Hiraiwa, Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2010 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Span 2.2 metres, length 13 metres (including the bend), building area 28 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (operated by Hidagawa Onsen Tochi Co., Ltd.) |
| Public Access | Indoor passage of a working ryokan; used by overnight and day-plan guests |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Yunoshimakan Connecting Corridor
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007999
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Yunoshimakan Entrance
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008000
- Yunoshimakan: Yunoshimakan Meguri (Japanese)
- https://www.yunoshimakan.co.jp/tour
- Yunoshimakan: About (Japanese)
- https://www.yunoshimakan.co.jp/about
Last verified: 2026.09.24
