About the Seishikan Tea Room
The Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Tea Room (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）茶室, Seishikan Chashitsu) is a small single-story tea room built in 1934 in Ueno, Inagawa Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
It covers 10 m² and sits off the southeast corner of the Main House, reached from the guest toilet through a Mizuya, the preparation room where utensils are washed. The roof is hipped-and-gabled (irimoya) in pantiles, with a thin copper strip along the eaves. It faces the inner garden on the east side of the estate.
Why the Seishikan Tea Room was registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Seishikan Tea Room as a model of architectural form, noting that it adds a modern sensibility to a traditional tea room.
The core is a four-and-a-half-mat room with a wooden floor strip on the north. On the west a low noble guests' entrance opens onto a veranda, and on the east is a Shitaji-mado, a window that leaves the wall's bamboo lath exposed. All of that follows tea-house convention. To the south, however, is a tiled earth-floored area set up for ryūrei, tea served at tables and chairs, with glazed windows. The town says Tomita built the house partly to entertain foreign guests, and a chair-seated tea space fits that purpose.
What to look for at the Seishikan Tea Room
From the inner garden, the Seishikan Tea Room sits low in front of the big thatched roof of the Main House. The copper eaves read as a fine line that makes the tile roof look lighter.
If you can step inside, notice how the tatami room and the tiled chair area sit side by side: guests could be served kneeling on the floor or seated at a table in the same small building. Compare the view of the garden through the west entrance with the filtered light from the east lattice window.
Visiting the Seishikan Tea Room
The Seishikan Tea Room is rented out for 700 yen an hour (1,400 yen for non-residents of Inagawa) and may be closed to viewing when booked. Ask the caretaker on the day whether the interior can be seen.
The exterior is visible from the inner garden. Please avoid photographing at close range while a tea gathering is in progress. Opening days and access are on the Seishikan page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Tea Room
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- How big is the Seishikan Tea Room?
- It has a four-and-a-half-mat tatami room with a wooden floor strip on the north, plus a tiled area to the south. The building covers 10 m².
- What is the ryūrei seat in the Seishikan Tea Room?
- It is a place for serving tea at tables and chairs, set in the tiled earth-floored area on the south side of the tea room.
- Where is the Seishikan Tea Room?
- It is attached to the southeast of the Main House, reached through a mizuya from the guest toilet, and faces the inner garden.
- Can I rent the Seishikan Tea Room?
- Yes. It can be rented for 700 yen an hour, or 1,400 yen for non-residents of Inagawa, through the town board of education.
- Why is the Seishikan Tea Room a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as a model of architectural form, for combining a traditional tea room with modern elements such as a chair-seated tea area and glazed windows.
Basic Information
| Name | Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Tea Room (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）茶室) |
|---|---|
| Location | 22 Ueno Machimawari, Inagawa Town, Kawabe District, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 10 m² |
| Owner | Inagawa Town |
| Public Access | Open to the public as Seishikan (free; closed Mondays; may be closed when rented) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 静思館（旧冨田家住宅）茶室
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004156
- Cultural Heritage Online: 静思館（旧冨田家住宅）茶室
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180376
- Inagawa Town: Inagawa Town Seishikan
- https://www.town.inagawa.lg.jp/soshiki/1036/gyomu/1/seishikan/6710.html
- Inagawa Town: Seishikan leaflet (PDF)
- https://www.town.inagawa.lg.jp/material/files/group/37/seishikan2.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
