The 1938 Banquet Wing
The Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing (旅館金波楼大広間棟, Ryokan Kinparō Ōhiroma-tō) is a two-storey timber inn building of 1938 at Hinagu Onsen in Hinagu Kaminishi-machi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2009 under registration number 43-0106.
It joins the Main Building at the east rear and runs north to south. The building area is 356 square meters. The roof is hipped-and-gabled, Irimoya-zukuri, in Sangawara-buki pantiles, with a lean-to Geya eave wrapping the east and south sides. The whole upper floor is given to an 80-mat banquet room, and a brick chimney 15 meters tall rises at the northwest corner.
Why It Was Registered: A Room Held Up as a Model of Design
Of the three registered structures at Kinparo, only the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing was registered as a model of design. The other two were valued for what they add to the townscape; here it is the building's own craftsmanship that counts.
At the heart of it is the upstairs hall. Its ceiling is a "boat-bottom" vault, high along the middle and sloping down to each side like an upturned hull, finished in woven ajiro work. Yatsushiro City singles out the finely woven bamboo of the ceiling and the use of natural, unsquared prized timber in the Ranma transoms and alcove, in the relaxed Sukiya-zukuri manner.
Built in 1938, the wing brought early Showa taste in reception rooms to an inn whose main block dates from 1909. Being able to compare the two periods under one roof is part of its value.
What to Look For: Three Alcoves of Prized Timber
The formal display in the hall of the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing has three parts: a Tokonoma alcove, staggered Chigaidana shelves and a biwa-doko, a low raised alcove once meant for displaying a lute. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes how boldly natural timber is used in all three. Compare the posts and shelf boards one by one to see which trees were chosen and how little they were shaped.
According to the inn, the hall has been kept in use and repaired so as to preserve its 1938 fittings, with a renovation in 2005. The inn's emblem of waves and plovers appears throughout, and there are decorations made from real pine, bamboo and plum wood. After looking up at the ceiling, look around the transoms and sliding doors for the waves and plovers.
Outside, the brick chimney at the northwest corner is the wing's signature: a 15-meter masonry stack standing against a timber inn.
Seeing the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing
The Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing sits behind the Main Building and is hard to see from the street. To see the 80-mat hall you need to be inside.
In practice the hall is seen by overnight guests. The inn offers building tours to people staying, so mention your interest in the hall when booking or on arrival. It may not always be available, so ask the inn in advance if it can be viewed and if photographs are allowed.
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Q&A
- When was the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing built and registered?
- It was built in 1938 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2009.
- Why is the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered as a model of design, chiefly for its 80-mat hall with a woven boat-bottom ceiling and alcoves built of natural prized timber.
- How big is the hall in the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing?
- It is an 80-mat room occupying the upper floor.
- How tall is the chimney of the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing?
- The brick chimney at the northwest corner is 15 meters tall.
- Can visitors see the hall in the Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing?
- It is inside the inn, so it is usually seen by overnight guests on a building tour. Check with the inn first.
Basic Information
| Name | Kinparo Ryokan Large Hall Wing (旅館金波楼大広間棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 361 Aza Nishimachimata and others, Hinagu Kaminishi-machi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009/4/28 (Heisei 21) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 356 square meters, with chimney (chimney height 15 meters) |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the national database) |
| Public Access | Working inn; the hall is seen on building tours for overnight guests (check in advance) |
References
- Ryokan Kinparo Large Hall Wing (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007703
- Ryokan Kinparo Large Hall Wing (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/154305
- Ryokan Kinparo Main Building, Large Hall Wing, Main Gate and Wall (Yatsushiro City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.yatsushiro.lg.jp/kiji003943/index.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
