What Is the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin?
The Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin (旧藤森家住宅雪隠) is a tiny single-storey privy for tea-ceremony guests, set against the east side of the waiting pavilion on the Fujimori estate in Funabashi-cho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in 1930 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2022.
Setchin is an old word for a toilet, still used for the privy in a tea garden. The Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin has a building area of just 0.9 m², about 1 metre square, the smallest of the eight registered buildings.
Why a Privy Was Registered
The privy was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it forms a single scene with the waiting pavilion beside it, so its value lies in the pair rather than in the privy alone.
Some tea-garden privies are purely ornamental and never used. This one has a ceramic urinal set towards the south side inside, which shows it was built as a working convenience for guests.
What to Look For
Small as it is, the shape is carefully worked. The north-west corner of the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin is cut off at an angle, and the single swing door is fitted into that cut. Trimming one corner of the box makes room for the door to open on a narrow garden path and turns the entrance towards the waiting pavilion.
The roof is cedar bark, built as a maneki-yane, a gable with one slope drawn out longer than the other. Inside and out the walls are sabi-kabe, clay whose iron content gives a rusty red-brown tone, and the north wall has a Shitaji-mado, a window made by leaving the bamboo lath of the wall exposed.
Cedar bark, rust-toned clay and lattice windows are the same vocabulary as the waiting pavilion and the tea house. Even the toilet was kept in keeping with the scenery of the tea garden.
Seeing the Setchin
The Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin can be seen on public opening days. It stands inside the plot and is not visible from the street.
The cut corner and door are on the north-west side, which is also the angle of the official photograph; walk round to the east of the waiting pavilion's bench to find it. As a protected fixture it should not be used. Photography rules are not stated officially, so ask the volunteers on the day. Opening dates and directions are on the Former Fujimori Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin (Privy)
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- What is the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin?
- A privy for guests at the tea house. Setchin is an old word for a toilet; this one stands against the east side of the waiting pavilion.
- How big is the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin?
- Its building area is 0.9 m², about 1 metre square, making it the smallest of the eight registered buildings on the estate.
- When was the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin built?
- In 1930, the same year as the waiting pavilion and the Saihōan tea house.
- What are the design features of the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin?
- A corner cut at an angle for the door, an asymmetric cedar-bark roof, rust-toned clay walls, a lattice window on the north side, and a ceramic urinal inside.
- Can I see the Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin?
- Yes, from outside on public opening days: the 2nd Sunday of each month, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Ask on the day about photography.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Fujimori Family Residence Setchin (Privy) (旧藤森家住宅雪隠) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2 Funabashicho 3-chome, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2022 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 0.9 m² |
| Owner | Himeji City |
| Public Access | Open to the public on the 2nd Sunday of each month, 10 a.m. to 12 noon (may close in bad weather) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 旧藤森家住宅雪隠
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014280
- Himeji City: Public Opening of the Former Fujimori Family Residence
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000030546.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
