What Is the Kato Family Residence Detached Room?
The Kato Family Residence Detached Room (加藤家住宅離れ座敷, Katō-ke Jūtaku Hanare Zashiki) is a detached guest wing northeast of the main house in a merchant family's compound in Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in 1892 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2009.
A corridor connects it to the main house. The wing is single-storey timber, 8.9 meters by 4.9 meters, with a building area of 51 square meters. It was altered in 1899 and again in 2004. The first of those dates is also the year the Inner Storehouse went up behind the main house.
Why the Kato Family Residence Detached Room Was Registered
The Kato Family Residence Detached Room was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes its calm presence looking onto the inner garden.
The main roof is a Kirizuma-zukuri gable in Sangawara-buki pan tiles, but the surrounding Hisashi eaves repeat the stepped shikoro profile of the main house. The wing is about 30 years younger than the house it serves, yet by borrowing the same eave form it sits comfortably within the compound rather than standing apart.
What to Look for at the Kato Family Residence Detached Room
Inside, the Kato Family Residence Detached Room is a pair of connected tatami rooms with a Tokonoma alcove and a shoin writing bay. The database writes the alcove as "toko" and notes that both alcove and shoin are carefully made. With the sliding partitions open, the two rooms become a single reception space.
The Ranma transom between the rooms is carved in openwork with a nami-usagi design, rabbits running across waves. The motif is said to come from a line in the Noh play Chikubushima and was a favorite of craftsmen from the Edo period on. Because the panel is pierced, light from the next room passes through it and the rabbits appear almost in silhouette.
The rooms face the inner garden, one corridor removed from the bustle of the main house. They were most likely used for receiving guests and for the family's own leisure.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence Detached Room
The Kato Family Residence Detached Room is part of a private home and is not open to the public. It faces an inner garden northeast of the main house and cannot be seen from outside the property.
Photographs of the rabbit transom and the alcove appear on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database. Directions and visiting notes are on the page for the Kato Family Residence as a whole.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kato Family Residence Detached Room
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Kato Family Residence Detached Room built?
- In 1892. It was altered in 1899 and again in 2004.
- Where is the Kato Family Residence Detached Room?
- Northeast of the main house, linked to it by a corridor and facing the inner garden.
- How big is the Kato Family Residence Detached Room?
- It is a single-storey timber building of 8.9 meters by 4.9 meters, with a building area of 51 square meters.
- What is the highlight inside the Kato Family Residence Detached Room?
- An openwork transom carved with rabbits running over waves, set between two connected tatami rooms that have a tokonoma alcove and a shoin writing bay.
- Can visitors see the Kato Family Residence Detached Room?
- No. It is part of a private home, the interior is not open, and its position facing the inner garden means it is not visible from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence Detached Room |
|---|---|
| Location | 53-1 Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 51 m² (8.9 m by 4.9 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kato Family Residence Detached Room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007515
- Himeji City: Kato Family Residence Detached Room (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001742.html
- Himeji City: List of Registered Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
