A two-storey guest wing at the end of the corridor
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing (コヤノ美術館西脇館（旧藤井家住宅）離れ, hanare) in Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki, Hyogo Prefecture, is a two-storey timber guest wing built in 1922 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on November 17, 2015. It stands west of the main house, joined to it by a long corridor.
Its Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roof, with the ridge running north to south, is laid in Sangawara-buki pantiles and given a slight outward swell, or mukuri; the lower eaves are sheathed in Dōban-buki copper. The building area is 82 square meters. Apart from the kimono storehouse, it is the only two-storey building on the estate, and the only one built as living space on two full floors.
On the date, the Agency for Cultural Affairs gives 1922, while the museum and the Nishiwaki tourism association describe it as an early Showa building. The museum's floor guide adds that the framework was raised in the Taisho era, so a wing framed up in 1922 and finished a few years later would fit both accounts.
Why it was registered: the taste of its time, inside and out
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing was registered (no. 28-0629) as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes the wide range of carefully chosen fine timbers and the different Zashiki-kazari alcove arrangement given to each room, and says the building shows the design aspirations of its day both inside and out.
According to the museum, the family commissioned a temple carpenter from Kyoto to build it, and only the master of the house and his most valued guests were allowed in. The museum also says it has no central pillar and was built without a single nail; that comes from the museum's own account, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs description says nothing about the construction method. The museum also describes it as an uncluttered building with many glazed windows.
What to look for: four rooms a floor, and a different alcove in each
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing repeats the same plan on both floors. On the east side, facing the inner courtyard, are two eight-mat rooms; on the west are a six-mat room and the stairwell. On each floor the two eastern rooms are the principal guest rooms and open toward the courtyard.
The heart of the building is the way the Tokonoma alcove and its surroundings change from room to room. Which fine timber was used where, beginning with the alcove post, and how each alcove is composed, differ in every room. In the museum's words, fine timbers are used throughout so you can enjoy a variety of grains. Each time you move to a new room, stand square to the alcove first and compare the grain of post and boards.
The tourism association's page includes a photograph looking down on the main house and courtyard from the upper floor of the wing. It is the one building on the estate high enough to give you that overview.
Visiting the detached wing
You reach the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing by following the long corridor west from the main house to its end; the tourism association describes it as a long corridor laid with red carpet. On the tour, the detached wing is the turning point.
The ground-floor rooms are included in the guided tour. Whether you can go upstairs depends on the exhibition and the day, so ask your guide. Photography is allowed without flash or tripod, and the timber grain of the alcoves shows best in window light. From across the courtyard you can see how the swelling tiled roof meets the copper eaves.
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Q&A
- When was the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1922, and it was registered on November 17, 2015 (registration no. 28-0629). The museum and the local tourism association call it an early Showa building, and the museum says the framework was raised in the Taisho era.
- What is the layout of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing?
- It is a two-storey timber building. Each floor has two eight-mat rooms on the east, facing the courtyard, and a six-mat room and stairwell on the west.
- What should I look for in the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing?
- The alcove arrangements, which differ from room to room, and the range of fine timbers used in them. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says the building shows the design aspirations of its time inside and out.
- Who built the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing?
- The museum says the family hired a temple carpenter from Kyoto, and that the wing was reserved for the master of the house and important guests. The carpenter's name has not been published.
- Can visitors go inside the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing and take photos?
- Yes, the guided tour of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building goes into the rooms; ask on the day whether the upper floor is open. Photography is allowed, but not flash (other than a built-in flash for snapshots) or tripods.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing |
|---|---|
| Location | 139 Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered on November 17, 2015 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 82 m² |
| Owner | Koyano Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Shown on guided tours of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Sundays; other days by reservation) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010859
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Detached Wing
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/213584
- Koyano Museum of Art: Floor Guide, Nishiwaki Building (Japanese)
- https://koyafron.co.jp/museum/nishiwaki/floor.html
- Nishiwaki Tourism and Products Association: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Japanese)
- https://www.nishiwaki-kanko.jp/guide/sightseeing/koyanobijutsukan.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
