A Taisho-era wing for washing and bathing
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building (コヤノ美術館西脇館（旧藤井家住宅）浴室及び便所棟, yokushitsu oyobi benjo-tō) in Ichihara-cho, Nishiwaki, Hyogo Prefecture, is a single-storey timber service wing from the late Taisho period, listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on November 17, 2015. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to between 1919 and 1926.
It opens off the south side of the western half of the corridor that runs from the main house to the detached wing. The Western-style building occupies the eastern half, so walking west you pass the reception room and study first and then come to the washroom, bath and toilet. At 47 square meters it is almost exactly the size of the Western-style building, at 49 square meters.
The plan steps in and out, with an outdoor toilet projecting to the west, and the Sangawara-buki pantile roof folds and turns to follow it.
Why it was registered: domestic facilities that are hard to replace
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building was registered (no. 28-0628) as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce, the only one of the estate's nine registrations listed on that criterion.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a refined example of a kind of household facility that rarely survives. Main houses and reception rooms are preserved in large numbers, but bathrooms and toilets are usually refitted as needs change, and few remain as built. Here the original tiles and glazed doors are still in place, which is exactly what would be hard to recreate.
What to look for: a mirrored door, decorative tiles, a cusped window
The Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building contains a washroom, a bath with a changing room, and a toilet. The washroom has a glazed door fitted with a mirror, a small sign that this was designed as a dressing space and not merely a sink.
The bath and changing room are lined with decorative tiles, and the ceiling has a vent to let the steam escape. For a farming household of the time, a separate, tiled bath wing was likely a new kind of comfort. Look up at the ceiling to find the vent.
The toilet has a Katōmado, a window with a pointed, flame-like head that originated in Zen temple architecture. Using it on a toilet window shows the builders giving a purely practical room the same care as the reception rooms.
The museum treats the wing as one of its highlights, and in 2014 it invited a speaker to give a talk at the Nishiwaki Building titled "Toilets Then and Now."
Visiting the bathroom and toilet building
You reach the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building by following the corridor west from the main house past the Western-style building. The museum gives the length of this corridor, which leads to what it calls the high-quality toilet and bath, as about 20 meters.
The rooms are small, so follow your guide's lead and go in one at a time. Photography is allowed without flash or tripod; the decorative tiles are glossy, and switching off the built-in flash avoids glare. The westward jut of the outdoor toilet and its roof is best seen from a point on the way to the detached wing where you can look outside.
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Q&A
- When was the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Taisho period, 1919 to 1926. It was registered on November 17, 2015 (registration no. 28-0628).
- What facilities does the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building contain?
- A washroom with a mirrored glass door, a bath and changing room lined with decorative tiles and fitted with a steam vent, and a toilet with a cusped katomado window. An outdoor toilet projects to the west.
- Why was the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building registered?
- It was registered as a structure that would be difficult to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a refined and rare surviving example of domestic facilities.
- Where is the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building on the estate?
- On the south side of the western half of the corridor that runs from the main house to the detached wing. The Western-style building is on the eastern half.
- Can visitors see inside the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building and take photos?
- Yes, on the guided tour of the Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building. 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) Bathroom and Toilet Building |
|---|---|
| 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, single storey, tiled roof, building area 47 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) Bathroom and Toilet Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010858
- Cultural Heritage Online: Koyano Museum of Art Nishiwaki Building (Former Fujii Family Residence) Bathroom and Toilet Building
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/280613
- Koyano Museum of Art: Floor Guide, Nishiwaki Building (Japanese)
- https://koyafron.co.jp/museum/nishiwaki/floor.html
- Koyano Museum of Art: Events (Japanese)
- https://koyafron.co.jp/museum/event.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
