A Wing Shaped by a Master of Sukiya
The Hirata Wing at Nishimuraya Honkan carries the name of the man who designed it. Hirata Masaya (1900–1980), born in Sakai near Osaka, spent his life on sukiya work, the refined domestic and teahouse architecture that grew out of the tea ceremony. Over some four hundred commissions he built teahouses for the Asaka princely family, the Nyoi-an at Daitoku-ji, celebrated restaurants such as Kitchō, and inns across the country. His talk-book, published in 1961, became popular enough to be turned into a film. This ten-room wing, completed in 1960, is one of his surviving inn works.
It sits within the grounds of Nishimuraya in Kinosaki, an inn founded in the late Edo period whose main buildings were rebuilt after the North Tajima Earthquake of 1925. By the time Hirata was invited, the inn was expanding rather than recovering, and he was asked to add guest rooms that would hold their own beside the older halls.
Why It Was Registered
On 17 November 2015 the Hirata Wing was entered on the register of Tangible Cultural Properties as number 28-0622. Its criterion differs from that of its neighbors on the same lot: while the Large Hall Building and the Gate and Wall were recognized for their part in the historic townscape, the Hirata Wing was registered as a model of design, a benchmark others might learn from.
That distinction rewards a close eye. Hirata based each room on sukiya principles yet worked in materials and methods that were new for their time, an approach often called modern sukiya. The building reads as traditional at first glance, then reveals decisions no earlier carpenter could have made. The design is the point here, not merely the age of the timber.
What to Look For
Begin with the plan. Hirata laid out the rooms so that the sightlines from one guest room toward the garden never cross those from another. Privacy is built into the geometry, and no curtain is needed to keep one party from looking into another's view. A single small garden lies at the heart of the wing, and the corridor wraps around it, so each room frames the same garden from a different angle and height. What one guest sees as a foreground stone, another reads as a distant edge.
The lobby opens into a void crossed by a bridge, an unexpected gesture inside a wooden inn. Overhead, the ceiling is painted with the flowers of the four seasons. The corridors draw their light through walls of glass block, a material that belonged firmly to the modern era yet here does the quiet work of a paper screen. Look, too, at the transoms, the built-in cupboards, and the small openings cut for light: these details carry the signature of Hirata's hand.
Rooms in the wing remain in use for guests, so the best way to see the work is to stay. Displays of furnishings change with the season, which means a second visit rarely looks like the first. Ask the inn about room availability in the Hirata Wing when you book.
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Q&A
- Who was Hirata Masaya?
- A carpenter-designer (1900–1980) from Sakai, regarded as a master of sukiya architecture. He built roughly four hundred works, including teahouses, restaurants, and inns, and drew his own plans.
- What is modern sukiya?
- It describes sukiya design that keeps the tradition's restraint while adopting new materials and methods. In the Hirata Wing, glass block and other then-novel choices sit within a classic sukiya frame.
- Why do the rooms feel so private?
- Hirata arranged the layout so the lines of sight from each room toward the garden do not intersect. The privacy comes from the plan itself rather than from added screening.
- How does its cultural-property status differ from the other buildings here?
- The Hirata Wing was registered as a model of design (no. 28-0622), while the Large Hall Building and the Gate and Wall were recognized for their contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I stay in the Hirata Wing?
- Its rooms are part of the working inn and are offered to guests. Availability varies, so ask Nishimuraya Honkan when reserving if you wish to stay in this wing.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishimuraya Honkan Hirata-kan (Hirata Wing) |
|---|---|
| Location | 469 Yushima Aza Gosho, Kinosaki-chō, Toyooka City, Hyōgo Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration no. 28-0622 |
| Registered | 17 November 2015 |
| Count | 1 building |
| Structure | Wood, two storeys, tile roof; building area about 591 m² |
| Date | 1960 (Shōwa 35); later Shōwa renovation |
| Designer | Hirata Masaya (1900–1980) |
| Owner | Life Nishimuraya Co., Ltd. |
| Access | About 15 minutes on foot from Kinosaki-onsen Station (JR San'in Line) |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties — Nishimuraya Honkan Hirata-kan
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010852
- About the Hirata Wing — Nishimuraya Honkan Official Site
- https://www.nishimuraya.ne.jp/honkan/hiratakan/
- Nishimuraya (Kinosaki Onsen) — Wikipedia
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/西村屋_(城崎温泉)
Last verified: 2026.07.11