Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Hyogo

Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex)

Hirayasu Annex: A Small Sukiya Guest Pavilion of 1919 in Kawanishi

A 1919 sukiya-style guest pavilion at the Hirayasu residence in Kawanishi City Local Museum: an alcove room and anteroom with verandas on two sides, in fine timber.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Hyogo

About the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex

The Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex) (川西市郷土館（旧平安家住宅離れ）) is a single-storey sukiya-style pavilion of 1918 to 1919 in Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on May 7, 1997. It is the detached reception room, or hanare, on the west side of the Hirayasu estate.

Under its tiled roof it covers just 44 m², a fraction of the 217 m² main house, yet it is one of the buildings on which the family spent the most care. The West Storehouse stands just to its north, and together they close off the western edge of the estate.

A Reception Room and Its Anteroom

The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex has only two rooms: a reception room to the south, fitted with a Tokonoma alcove, and an anteroom behind it. It is hospitality pared back to essentials, a room for the guest and a small room to serve it.

Verandas one bay wide run along the south and east sides, so the reception room looks out on the garden in two directions. Among the closed storehouses and barns of the Hirayasu estate, the annex is one of the few buildings that open outward.

Carefully Chosen Timber

The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex is built with care from carefully selected, high-quality materials. In sukiya architecture the grain and colour of posts and ceiling boards are the decoration, so the choice of timber decides how good the building is.

Inside, look at the surface of the alcove post, the run of the veranda boards and the way the ceiling is laid. In a building this small such differences stand out, and if you have just come from the main house you will notice that the sukiya taste is even stronger here.

Why It Was Registered

The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design, under number 28-0007, on May 7, 1997, together with 13 other Hirayasu structures.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs regards it as a fine example for understanding the high level of Taisho-era Japanese-style building, small as it is. It shows how much timber and labour a prosperous copper-refining family would spend on a single room for guests.

Visiting the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex

The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex can be seen as part of a visit to the Hirayasu house at the Kawanishi City Local Museum. We could not confirm from official sources whether visitors may enter the reception room or whether it is sometimes booked for events, so ask at reception (checked October 2026).

From the garden side, where the verandas wrap around the south and east, the light sukiya character of the annex is easiest to read. Ask at reception about photography too. Opening days, admission and directions are on the Kawanishi City Local Museum page.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex); [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]

Q&A

QWhere is the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex?: AOn the west side of the Hirayasu estate, with the West Storehouse just to its north.

QWhat rooms does the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex have?: AA south-facing reception room with a tokonoma alcove and an anteroom behind it, with verandas one bay wide on the south and east.

QWhy is the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex valued?: AFor its careful construction in high-quality materials, a fine example of Taisho-era Japanese-style building.

QWhen was the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex registered?: AOn May 7, 1997, under registration number 28-0007.

QCan I enter the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex?: AIt is part of the Kawanishi City Local Museum visit, but official sources do not say whether the reception room can be entered, so ask at reception (checked October 2026).

Basic Information

Name	Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Annex)
Location	4-1 Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure)
Year Designated	1997 (registered)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 44 m² (single-storey timber, tiled roof)
Owner	Kawanishi City
Public Access	Open (Kawanishi City Local Museum, admission 300 yen)