A Taisho Restaurant on Mount Senkoji
Tamontei (多門亭) is a two-storey timber former ryotei (traditional restaurant) built around 1920 on the southern slope of Mount Senkoji at Higashi-tsuchidocho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2019. It was renovated around 1965 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 125 square metres; registration number 34-260. Onomichi City lists the owner as a private individual.
A Former Ryotei on the Hillside
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tamontei is a former restaurant on the southern flank of Mount Senkoji and part of the historic townscape spreading over the hillside.
Inside, each floor has its own entrance; a central corridor on the ground floor serves a row of small tatami rooms, and the upper floor holds a large banquet room, a plan suited to a restaurant on a slope (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
Tamontei was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its simple sukiya-style finish and its place in the townscape on the hillside.
What to Look For
Tamontei is a full two-storey building under a gabled pantiled roof, simply finished in sukiya style with round eaves beams and rafters of logs (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Its separate entrances on each floor make use of the hillside site (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Among the slopes and stone steps of Higashi-tsuchidocho, it preserves the look of a Taisho-era restaurant.
Visiting
Tamontei is privately owned, and we could not confirm any public opening (Onomichi City). The address is 156-2 Higashi-tsuchidocho, Onomichi City; please respect residents' privacy when viewing the exterior.
Q&A
- When was Tamontei built?
- Around 1920; it was renovated around 1965 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was Tamontei originally?
- A restaurant (ryotei) on the southern slope of Mount Senkoji (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the architecture of Tamontei?
- A gabled full two-storey building in simple sukiya style, with round eaves beams and log rafters (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is Tamontei laid out?
- Each floor has its own entrance, with small rooms below and a large banquet room above (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was Tamontei registered?
- On March 29, 2019.
Basic Information
| Name | Tamontei (多門亭) |
|---|---|
| Location | 156-2 Higashi-tsuchidocho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/3/29 (Heisei 31) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 125 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Privately owned; no public opening announced |
References
- Tamontei (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012821
- List of registered cultural properties (Onomichi City, PDF)
- https://www.city.onomichi.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/57544.pdf
- Designated and registered cultural properties of Onomichi (Onomichi City)
- https://www.city.onomichi.hiroshima.jp/soshiki/7/4023.html
Last verified: 2026.10.10