Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms): The Largest and Most Formal Annex
Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) (恋しき離れ（桐・さつきの間）, Koishiki hanare, Kiri-Satsuki-no-ma) is a late Taisho-period annex standing behind the main house of the former ryotei inn Koishiki in Fuchu-cho, Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004. Kiri is the paulownia tree and satsuki a kind of azalea.
At 107 square meters, it is the largest of Koishiki's four registered annexes. The single-storey timber building has exposed-post Shinkabe walls and an hip-and-gable roof of pan tiles whose ridge turns a corner in an L shape.
Two separate guest suites share the building. The Kiri Room is a pair of connected rooms of six and eight mats; the Satsuki Room is a single six-mat room. A corridor links them to a private entrance on the east side. In practice, Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) could receive two parties at once, sharing a doorway and then parting for their own rooms.
Why the Kiri and Satsuki Rooms Were Registered
Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) was registered on November 8, 2004, under register number 34-0070, as a building that sets a standard for design.
Unlike the other annexes registered under the same criterion, it is described by the Agency for Cultural Affairs not as sukiya in style but as Shoin-zukuri. Shoin-zukuri is the formal reception-room style, with an alcove, staggered display shelves and squared timber, and it points in the opposite direction from the slender, rustic sukiya manner. Koishiki placed small sukiya annexes deep in the garden and this larger shoin-style annex right behind the main house, which says something about how its rooms were graded.
The official summary calls the exterior imposing, noting the black plaster walls and the lean-to eaves that wrap around the building. Where the smaller annexes half disappear among the trees, this one is meant to be seen.
What to Look for: The L-Shaped Roof and the Wrap-Around Eaves
The roof is the first thing to study. Because the ridge bends through a right angle, the hip-and-gable roof projects in two directions, and depending on where you stand you see one triangular gable end or two. Walk a little way along the garden path and watch the outline change.
Below the main roof a second, lower pent roof, the geya-bisashi, runs all the way round the building. It adds a strong horizontal line at the base and gives a single-storey building a low, settled weight.
The walls are finished in black lime plaster, with the timber posts showing at regular intervals. Against the green of the garden, that dark skin is what makes the building stand out so clearly.
If you do get inside, notice how one corridor serves both suites. Walk in from the private entrance and, depending on which way you turn, you are shown into a completely different guest room within the same building.
Visiting Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms)
Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) is not open on ordinary visits, but it is the only one of the four registered annexes that can be rented. According to Fuchu City, the fee is 5,500 yen per day or 690 yen per hour including tax, for up to about 10 people, and the city suggests uses such as tea gatherings, kimono dressing and flower arranging.
Renting the room is therefore the only way to see the interior. Bookings and availability are handled by Koishiki (0847-41-5140).
The exterior can be viewed freely from the garden. The annex stands just behind the main house, facing the inner garden, so it is close by as soon as you step outside. Opening days and directions to the site are covered on the Koishiki page.
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Q&A
- Can I go inside Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms)?
- Not on an ordinary visit, but Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) can be rented. It is the only registered annex at Koishiki offered for rent.
- How much does it cost to rent Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms)?
- According to Fuchu City, Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) costs 5,500 yen per day or 690 yen per hour including tax, for up to about 10 people.
- When was Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) built?
- Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) dates from the late Taisho period and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
- How is Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) different from the other annexes?
- At 107 square meters, Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) is the largest annex, and it is built in the formal shoin style rather than the sukiya style of the others.
- How are the rooms in Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) arranged?
- Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) holds the Kiri Room, a pair of six-mat and eight-mat rooms, and the Satsuki Room, a single six-mat room, linked by a corridor to a private entrance on the east.
Basic Information
| Name | Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms) |
|---|---|
| Location | 178 and 179-2 Nagai, Fuchu-cho, Fuchu City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered November 8, 2004 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single-storey, tiled roof, building area 107 square meters |
| Owner | Koishiki Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior normally closed (available as a rental room). Exterior visible from the garden (free, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., January 4 to December 28) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004419
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koishiki Annex (Kiri and Satsuki Rooms)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/195419
- Hourly room rental at Koishiki (Fuchu City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.fuchu.hiroshima.jp/soshiki/keizaikanko/syokokanko/kankosinko/koisiki/9343.html
- Public opening of the Koishiki main house (Fuchu City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.fuchu.hiroshima.jp/soshiki/keizaikanko/syokokanko/kankosinko/koisiki/9340.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
