The Goyashiki Former Bathhouse
Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse (郷屋敷（旧井上家住宅）元湯殿, moto-yudono) is a small early Meiji-era bath wing attached to the northeast corner of the main house on the Inoue family estate in Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on October 12, 2001.
The single-storey timber building has a building area of 20 square meters and is joined to the Main House by a covered passage. It is dated to the early Meiji era, shortly after 1868. It originally held a bathroom and a toilet, which the Goyashiki website describes as facilities for guests. The former bathroom is now a tatami guest room.
How the Former Bathhouse Is Built
The Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse was registered as a model of design. Its hongawara tile roof has an east-west ridge; the east end is hipped, and the west end simply continues into the eaves of the Main House, a neat way of fitting a small wing onto a large house.
The exterior walls are clad in cedar bark, and the timber members are kept slender. The official commentary calls this delicate sukiya-style work, a lightness borrowed from tea architecture and applied, unusually, to a bathhouse for visitors.
Cedar Bark and a Shared Roofline
According to the restaurant, the Goyashiki Former Bathhouse sits between the south garden and the rear garden. From outside, look at the texture of the cedar-bark walls and at the west side, where the tiled roof merges into the eaves of the Main House.
The website notes that the conversion into a guest room could be reversed. Sitting in the tatami room, it is worth picturing where the bath and the toilet once divided the space.
Visiting the Former Bathhouse
Because the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse is used as a guest room, you can see inside if you are seated there. Ask Goyashiki when reserving if a specific room can be requested.
The room is small, so if other guests are using it, look from outside only, and ask the staff before taking photographs. Opening hours and directions are on the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) group page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kagawa
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse
- [ Naoshima Art Island & Kotohiragu Shrine Visit ]
Q&A
- When was the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse built?
- In the early Meiji era, shortly after 1868. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
- Where is the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse located?
- At the northeast corner of the Main House, linked to it by a covered passage.
- How is the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse used today?
- The former bathroom has been turned into a tatami guest room.
- What are the roof and walls of the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse like?
- The hongawara tile roof is hipped at the east end and runs into the Main House eaves at the west. The walls are clad in cedar bark.
- How large is the Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse?
- It is a single-storey timber building with a building area of 20 square meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1987 Omachi, Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2001 (Heisei 13) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 20 square meters |
| Owner | Not disclosed (no owner listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Former bathroom used as a guest room; visible inside if you are seated there |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Cultural Properties Database: Goyashiki (Former Inoue Family Residence) Former Bathhouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002447
- Goyashiki official website: About Goyashiki
- https://goyashiki.co.jp/about/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
