What Is the Akai Family Residence Tea Room?
The Akai Family Residence Tea Room (赤井家住宅茶室, Akai-ke Jūtaku Chashitsu) in Ueno-Shinobicho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture, is a single-story wooden Chashitsu built in the early Showa period (1926 to 1944), registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on September 10, 2010.
It covers just 12 square meters and holds three tatami mats beneath a gabled roof clad in copper sheet (Dōban-buki). It stands in the garden southeast of the main house, between the house and the storehouse. Of the five registered structures at the Akai Family Residence, it is the youngest and the smallest.
Why It Was Registered
Four of the five Akai buildings were registered for their contribution to the historic landscape. The Akai Family Residence Tea Room is the exception: it was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design. In other words, the building itself, not only its place in the townscape, was judged worth keeping.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its neat, well-proportioned form and the way it gives the garden the feel of a Roji, the path-garden that leads guests to a tea room. At three mats it is a true small room (koma), yet it creates a separate world within the samurai compound.
What to Look For
The west side, facing the garden, has a kinin-guchi, a full-height entrance that guests can walk through standing up, unlike the low crawl-in nijiri-guchi of many tea rooms. Eaves project above it to shelter arriving guests. On the north side is a service door for the host.
The south wall is pierced by a round window (maru-mado). Just east of it is the Tokonoma alcove, whose post (Tokobashira) is susudake, smoke-darkened bamboo of the kind salvaged from old hearth-heated farmhouse ceilings, prized for its deep brown tones.
According to Iga City's heritage assessment, the ceiling is woven ajiro work, the outer walls are earth plaster left at the intermediate coat, and the eave soffits are finished in dressed boards. Stopping at the intermediate coat leaves the wall with a slightly rough surface.
Visiting
You can see the exterior of the Akai Family Residence Tea Room from the garden during free viewing hours, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Wednesdays and December 29 to January 3). The entrance and its eaves are best seen from the garden to the west, the round window from the south.
The tea room can also be rented. Iga City lists a fee of 310 yen per session (morning, afternoon or evening) or 820 yen for a full day, with surcharges for commercial use or heating and cooling. Book through the Akai Family Residence (+81-595-51-7578).
No official photography policy could be found. Ask at the reception desk before photographing the interior.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Akai Family Residence Tea Room
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Akai Family Residence Tea Room built and registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Showa period (1926 to 1944). It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on September 10, 2010.
- Why was the Akai Family Residence Tea Room registered on a different basis from the other buildings?
- The other four were registered for their contribution to the historic landscape. The tea room was registered as a model of design, recognizing the quality of the building itself.
- How big is the Akai Family Residence Tea Room?
- It has three tatami mats and a building area of 12 square meters, with a gabled copper-sheet roof and a woven ajiro ceiling.
- What details should I look for in the Akai Family Residence Tea Room?
- Look for the full-height kinin-guchi entrance under projecting eaves on the west, the round window on the south and the smoked-bamboo post of the tokonoma.
- Can I rent the Akai Family Residence Tea Room?
- Yes. Iga City lists 310 yen per morning, afternoon or evening session and 820 yen for a full day. Book through +81-595-51-7578.
Basic Information
| Name | Akai Family Residence Tea Room (赤井家住宅茶室) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2491-1 Ueno-Shinobicho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered September 10, 2010 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-story wooden building, gabled copper-sheet roof, building area 12 square meters, 3 tatami mats |
| Owner | Iga City |
| Public Access | Open (exterior from the street at any time; grounds free from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed Wednesdays and December 29 to January 3) |
References
- Akai Family Residence Tea Room (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008299
- Heritage assessment of the Akai Family Residence (Iga City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.iga.lg.jp/cmsfiles/contents/0000003/3149/syoken.pdf
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property Akai Family Residence (Iga City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.iga.lg.jp/0000003149.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
