What Is the Former Kitato Annex?
The Former Kitato Annex (旧喜多藤別館, Kyū-Kitato Bekkan) is the main building of a former restaurant inn in Honmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture; built in 1923 as a two-storey timber building with a gabled Sangawara-buki tile roof, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 October 2021. At 209 square meters in plan it is the largest of the seven Former Kitato buildings.
It stands straight ahead as you come through the gate, facing north, with its formal entrance on the north side. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the Former Kitato Annex the central building of the inn.
Despite the name, the Annex is one of the oldest buildings on the site. It went up in 1923 together with the Front Gate and the Toilet Building, and the Chunichi Shimbun reports that the gate was built at the same time as this block.
Two Floors, Two Functions
On the ground floor of the Former Kitato Annex, the north side holds an entrance hall and the kitchen, and the south side holds guest rooms. The hall and kitchen take the front and the guest rooms take the back, so the building divides front and rear within one plan.
Upstairs, tatami rooms ring a central hall, each opening off the same core.
In 1936 the Great Hall Building rose next door to the west. The Annex kept its place at the hinge of the lot, facing the gate and joined by a covered corridor to the Toilet Building.
A Wall of Glass Toward the River
The feature to look for on the Former Kitato Annex is the upper floor on the river side. Along its full width facing the Nabari River, the wall is given over to floor-level glazed openings, so guests sitting on the tatami saw straight out over the water. The agency's description singles out this opening and the view it commands.
Glazing every bay leaves very little solid wall to brace the frame, which makes this a deliberate choice in a 1923 timber building. The inn was selling the river, and the Annex was built around that view.
The registration criterion is contribution to the historic landscape. Seen from the street, the Former Kitato Annex is the main house behind the gate; seen from the river, it is a long run of upper-floor windows, and both views belong to the Nabari riverside.
Visiting the Former Kitato Annex
The Former Kitato Annex is privately owned and its interior is not open to visitors. The ground inside the gate is private property.
From the street you can see the Front Gate and its side walls. The Annex stands directly behind the gate, but the whole building cannot be seen from outside. Please take photos from the public road only. Access and the layout of all seven buildings are covered on the Former Kitato page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Mie
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Kitato Annex
- [ Ise Grand Shrine & Shima Bay Cruise Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Kitato Annex built?
- In 1923, in the same year as the Front Gate and the Toilet Building. It belongs to the earliest phase of the inn.
- What kind of building is the Former Kitato Annex?
- It is the central two-storey timber block of the inn, with a gabled tile roof. The ground floor has an entrance hall and kitchen on the north and guest rooms on the south; upstairs, banquet rooms surround a central hall. The building area is 209 square meters.
- What should I look for at the Former Kitato Annex?
- The upper floor on the river side, glazed across its full width with floor-level windows so the banquet rooms look out over the Nabari River.
- When did the Former Kitato Annex become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 14 October 2021, as registration number 24-290, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape.
- Can I go inside the Former Kitato Annex?
- No. It is privately owned, the interior is closed, and visitors cannot enter the grounds. Only the area around the Front Gate can be seen from the street.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kitato Annex (旧喜多藤別館, Kyū-Kitato Bekkan) |
|---|---|
| Location | 118-1 Honmachi, Nabari City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), Registration No. 24-290 |
| Year Designated | 2021 (registered 14 October 2021) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tile roof, building area 209 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible only around the Front Gate) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Kitato Annex (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013732
- Cultural Properties (Nabari City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s061/010/020/000/030/201502051897.html
- List of Designated Cultural Properties in Nabari (Nabari City, PDF, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.nabari.lg.jp/s061/010/020/000/030/R7shiteibunnkazaiitirann64.pdf
- Former Kitato Restaurant Inn in Nabari to Become a Registered Cultural Property (Chunichi Shimbun, 21 November 2020, in Japanese)
- https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/157953
Last verified: 2026.09.27
