A Bath and Toilet Annex of About 1905
The Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building (東山家住宅便所・風呂棟) is an annex housing a toilet and a bath of about 1905 in Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 14 square metres; registration number 39-0068.
The Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building is a small annex south of the main house that brings the household's bath and toilet together under one roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A Small Hipped-Roof Annex
The Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building measures 2 and a half bays along the ridge by 1 and a half bays deep, a single-storey timber building with a hipped roof running north to south (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A goemon-buro is set into its southeast corner.
The roof is laid with pantiles, and the Agency's description takes the trouble to note that left-hand and right-hand tiles are used for different parts of it. Japanese pantiles come in two mirror-image types whose overlaps run in opposite directions, and a roof is normally laid with one or the other. The description does not say why both were used on this small hipped roof.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building as something that would not be easy to reproduce. What it singles out are the decorative tiles, 30 centimetres square, laid on the bathroom floor and in the toilet and carried round the outside walls up to waist height.
The main house, storehouse and stone wall were registered for their contribution to the landscape; of the four, this annex alone was registered on a different criterion.
What to Look For
Look for the decorative tiles, 30 centimetres square, on the bathroom floor, in the toilet and around the outside walls up to waist height (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The description does not record their colour or pattern, so that is something to check if you get the chance.
The goemon-buro in the southeast corner is an iron tub heated by a fire underneath. If you can see the roof, look too for the mix of left-hand and right-hand pantiles.
Visiting
The Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building stands south of the main house, toward the back of the compound (Agency for Cultural Affairs). We could not confirm whether it is visible from the street, and no information on public access was found; assume it cannot be visited on the property.
Q&A
- When was the Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building built?
- In about 1905 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building?
- Decorative tiles 30 centimetres square on the bathroom floor, in the toilet and round the outside walls up to waist height.
- What kind of bath does the Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building have?
- A goemon-buro, an iron tub heated from below, set in the southeast corner.
- Can I visit the Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building?
- It is an annex south of the main house, and no information on public access was found.
- When was the Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building registered?
- On January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building (東山家住宅便所・風呂棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | Otsu 1281-2, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/01/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 14 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No information on public access |
References
- Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003164
- Higashiyama Family Residence Toilet and Bath Building (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/116044
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures), Towns and Villages (Kochi Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2024031100049/
Last verified: 2026.10.19
