About the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet
The Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet (梶原家住宅外便所, Kajiwara-ke Jūtaku Sotobenjo) is a Taisho-era (1912 to 1925) toilet block beside the back door of the main house on the Kajiwara estate in Oshio, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2009.
The Outdoor Toilet is a single-storey timber building running north to south under a gabled pantiled roof. It is 3.5 meters long but only 0.97 meters wide, giving a building area of 3.4 square meters.
Four Stalls in a Row
Inside, the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet is divided into four compartments from north to south. The two in the middle are toilets and the one at the north end is a urinal. Every cubicle fits into a building less than a meter wide.
The earthen walls have a mortar-rendered lower band, and the two middle bays have shitaji-mado, windows that leave the bamboo lath of the wall exposed, a device familiar from tea rooms. A simple wooden wicket door (sarudo) hangs on the north side.
A Toilet for the Working Household
The Agency for Cultural Affairs presents the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet as an example of a toilet for outdoor work. The tea quarter has its own privy for guests; this one sits beside the back door of the main house, on the route used for the business of running the household.
Its hard-wearing mortar base is paired with the lath windows and wicket door of the tea garden. Even a service building received a touch of the design language found across the estate. It qualified for registration by contributing to the historic landscape.
Seeing the Outdoor Toilet
The Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet is part of a private home and is not open to the public. It stands behind the main house and is not expected to be visible from the street (not verified on site).
For the route from the station, see the Kajiwara Family Residence (Nishi-Kajiwara) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- Where is the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet?
- Beside the back door of the main house, running north to south.
- How big is the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet?
- 3.5 by 0.97 meters, a building area of 3.4 square meters.
- What is inside the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet?
- Four compartments: two toilets in the middle and a urinal at the north end.
- Who used the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a toilet for people working outdoors.
- Can I visit the Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet?
- No. It is part of a private residence that is not open to the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Kajiwara Family Residence Outdoor Toilet |
|---|---|
| Location | 457 Miyanomoto, Oshiocho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 3.4 m² (3.5 m by 0.97 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private home; exterior from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: 梶原家住宅外便所
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007908
- Himeji City: 梶原家住宅（西梶原）外便所
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001760.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
