The Secluded Eirakukan South Building
The Eirakukan South Building (栄楽館南棟, Eirakukan Minami-to) is a 2-storey timber building with reception rooms set back near the southern edge of Eirakukan, a former ryotei restaurant in Ueno Aioicho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture; built in 1873 and renovated in 1994, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014. It has a tiled roof and, at 111 square meters of building area, is the largest of the four registered structures.
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the ground floor of the Eirakukan South Building holds three Zashiki, tatami reception rooms, and a tea room, and the upper floor holds two more zashiki. It is the building furthest from the street gate, with the storehouse tucked against its southeast corner.
Registration and the Bamboo and Fan Craftwork of the Eirakukan South Building
The Eirakukan South Building is registration number 24-0173, listed as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country, on the same day as the East Building, the storehouse, and the gate and wall.
The national description values the variety of its interiors. Bamboo and folding fans recur as motifs in the Ranma, the carved transoms above the sliding doors, and in the railings, and the ceiling design changes from room to room. Iga City's description of Eirakukan also mentions fan and bamboo motifs and craftwork that differs in every room, including woven wickerwork ceilings; among the four national descriptions, the South Building's is the one that matches that account most closely.
Two motifs repeat, while the ceilings keep changing. A guest shown into one room would find a different mood from the room next door, and the national description concludes that the interiors are varied and well worth seeing.
What to Look For: The Radiating Ceiling of the Eirakukan South Building Tea Room
The tea room ceiling is the detail not to miss in the Eirakukan South Building. The thin battens that support a board ceiling normally run in parallel; here they radiate outward from a central point, so looking up you should see the lines fanning out like the ribs of an umbrella.
The hotel's site describes Room 101 as having a room furnished with bamboo, a tea-room-style zashiki, transoms carved with bamboo, and an umbrella-shaped ceiling of natural cherry wood. That account fits the national description of the Eirakukan South Building closely. The hotel does not, however, say which building Room 101 occupies, so it cannot be stated with certainty that the room lies in the South Building.
Seeing the Eirakukan South Building
The Eirakukan South Building is now part of the KANMURI wing of NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Jokamachi, and it is not open to the general public. Because it stands at the back of the lot, expect to see almost nothing of it from the street.
In practice, the carved details and the tea room ceiling are for people staying in the KANMURI guest rooms. If you want to know which room lies in the Eirakukan South Building, ask the hotel when you book. Directions and booking details are on the Eirakukan page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Eirakukan South Building
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Eirakukan South Building built and registered?
- The national database dates it to 1873, with a renovation in 1994. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 25, 2014, under number 24-0173.
- What rooms are in the Eirakukan South Building?
- It is a 2-storey timber building with three reception rooms and a tea room on the ground floor and two reception rooms upstairs, with a building area of 111 square meters.
- What is special about the Eirakukan South Building interiors?
- Bamboo and fan motifs appear in the carved transoms and railings, and each room has a different ceiling design.
- What does the tea room ceiling in the Eirakukan South Building look like?
- Its battens radiate from a central point instead of running in parallel. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles this out in its description.
- Can I see inside the Eirakukan South Building?
- There is no public opening. It is part of the hotel's KANMURI wing and mainly used by overnight guests. The hotel does not say which room is in this building, so ask when booking.
Basic Information
| Name | Eirakukan South Building (栄楽館南棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2842 Ueno Aioicho, Iga City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered April 25, 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 111 square meters |
| Owner | Iga City |
| Public Access | In use as hotel facilities; not open to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Eirakukan South Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009983
- Iga City: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.iga.lg.jp/cmsfiles/contents/0000003/3870/kunitouroku.pdf
- NIPPONIA HOTEL Iga Ueno Jokamachi official site: KANMURI
- https://www.kazenoheritage.jp/hotels/iga-ueno/rooms/kanmuri/
Last verified: 2026.10.10
