About the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse
The Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse) (川西市郷土館（旧平安家住宅浴室）) is a single-storey timber bathhouse of 1918 to 1919 in Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on May 7, 1997. It stands on its own behind the main house and was where the Hirayasu family bathed.
It has a gabled tiled roof and a building area of 31 m². This is not a bathroom inside a house but a separate building set apart from it, and the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse is unusual in having been registered as a property in its own right.
Bath, Changing Room and Covered Walkway
Inside, the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse has just two rooms, the bath itself and a changing room, a plain plan that keeps washing and dressing apart.
A covered walkway with a tiled roof links it to the main house, so the family could reach the bath without getting wet. Keeping a building that used fire and steam away from the house, while making it easy to reach, was a sensible balance.
The Vent on the Roof
On the ridge of the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse sits a small raised roof, a kinuki vent. The gap beneath it lets steam and heat escape from the bath below.
Look up from outside and you will see the miniature roof riding on top of the main gable. It is the one feature that tells you, before you go near, that this building was a bathhouse.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design, under number 28-0008, on May 7, 1997, together with 13 other Hirayasu structures.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it is plainly built overall but valuable for understanding the living spaces of a well-to-do Taisho-era household. What survives here is not a showpiece but a building that served daily life, and that is the point of registering it.
Visiting the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse
The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse is part of the Hirayasu house at the Kawanishi City Local Museum and can be seen with a museum ticket. Official sources do not say how much of the changing room and bath can be entered, so ask at reception (checked October 2026).
The covered walkway from the main house and the vent on the roof are the two things to look for first. Ask at reception about photography as well. 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 Bathhouse)
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- Where is the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse?
- Standing on its own behind the main house, linked to it by a covered walkway with a tiled roof.
- What is inside the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse?
- Two rooms: the bath and a changing room.
- What is the small roof on top of the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse?
- A kinuki vent that lets steam and heat escape from the bath.
- When was the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse registered?
- On May 7, 1997, under registration number 28-0008.
- Can I visit the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse?
- Yes, as part of the Kawanishi City Local Museum. Ask at reception how much of the interior can be seen (checked October 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Bathhouse) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-1 Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 1997 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 31 m² (single-storey timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Kawanishi City |
| Public Access | Open (Kawanishi City Local Museum, admission 300 yen) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 川西市郷土館（旧平安家住宅浴室）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000144
- Kawanishi City: Guide to the Kyodokan Facilities
- https://www.city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp/shiseijoho/shokai/kankouannai/1003058/kyodokan_syosai.html
- Kawanishi City: Kyodokan (Local Museum)
- https://www.city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp/shiseijoho/shokai/kankouannai/1003058/kankou_kyodo.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
