What the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse is
The Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse (柴田家住宅風呂, Shibata-ke Jūtaku Furo) is a small single-storey timber bath building in Ichinashi, Keihoku Toriicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, built around 1912 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 8, 2008.
It stands on its own to the northwest of the main house. The building covers 7.0 square meters under a tiled gabled roof with its ridge running east to west, and measures 2.8 meters by 2.5 meters.
Inside it is split in two: a changing area at the east end and the bathroom to the west. The bath was built as a separate structure, apart from the main house.
Why the Shibata bathhouse was registered
The Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape. With the main house, the roji gate and the earthen wall, it is one of the buildings that make up an early Taisho-era farming household.
Kyoto City notes that a barn and the bath survive alongside the main house, and counts the walled compound with its outbuildings as an important part of the local scenery.
A brick dado and blue-and-white tiles in the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse
The outer walls of the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse are finished in lime plaster (Shikkui), but the lower part of the wall changes with the room behind it. Around the bathroom it is brick; around the changing area it is timber boarding. Only the side that takes the steam and splashing was built in brick.
The bathroom follows the same logic inside. Blue-and-white glazed tiles (sometsuke) line the walls to waist height, with boards above, and the tub itself is faced with small tiles.
The building covers only 7.0 square meters, yet the materials change from the outer dado to the face of the tub. Read the Agency's description in order and the finishes grow more water-resistant the closer they come to the hot water.
Seeing the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse
The Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse is privately owned, and no interior opening has been announced. The tiles and the tub are indoors and cannot be seen from outside.
Because the bathhouse stands northwest of the main house, toward the back of the property, it has not been confirmed whether it can be seen from the road. Please stay off the grounds. Directions are on the Shibata Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can I visit the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse?
- No public opening or interior visit to the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse has been announced. It is privately owned, so please do not enter the grounds.
- When was the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse built?
- Around 1912, about the same time as the main house was framed.
- Where is the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse, and how big is it?
- It stands apart to the northwest of the main house. It is a single-storey timber building of 2.8 by 2.5 meters with a building area of 7.0 square meters.
- What is inside the Shibata bathhouse in Keihoku?
- A changing area at the east end and the bathroom to the west. The bathroom has blue-and-white tiles to waist height with boards above, and the tub is faced with small tiles.
- Why is the Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on July 8, 2008, as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 43 Ichinashi, Keihoku Toriicho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered July 8, 2008 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 7.0 m², 2.8 m by 2.5 m |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007232
- Cultural Heritage Online: Shibata Family Residence Bathhouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/120104
- Kyoto City: Buildings and Gardens of Kyoto, certification of the Shibata house (Japanese)
- https://kyoto-irodoru.city.kyoto.lg.jp/mobile/ukyo/shibatake-n.html
Last verified: 2026.10.28
