A Guest Pavilion over the Kushida River
The Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki (Senjitei) (田中家住宅前座敷（洗耳亭）, Tanaka-ke Jūtaku Maezashiki) is a guest pavilion built in 1883 on the southern half of the Tanaka compound, across the old Wakayama Kaidō highway from the main house, in Iitakacho Hase, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 2, 2018, and is known by the name Senjitei.
It is a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 116 square metres, made up of a gabled west wing and a hip-and-gable east wing. It was extended around 1907.
Borrowing the River View
The Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki stands behind the front barn, on the part of the lot that faces the Kushida River, and part of it projects out over the stone retaining wall. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises it as a refined sukiya-style reception room, left open on the river side so that the view of the mountain stream becomes part of the room, a technique known as shakkei, borrowed scenery.
Most of the compound dates from the rebuilding that began in 1896, but Senjitei is older, the earliest of the eleven registered items. It even predates 1885, when the family gave up brewing sake.
Stepped Wings on a High Wall
The two wings of Senjitei are set slightly offset from each other in a diagonal, stepped line. The Agency notes how this staggered silhouette on top of the high wall blends the house into the natural scenery, and the Tanaka Family Museum's website shows the pavilion resting on the wall on two supporting posts.
From inside you look down on the river; from outside, wall and pavilion read as a single form. The name Senjitei, "pavilion for washing the ears", recalls the Chinese hermit Xu You, who is said to have washed his ears in a river after hearing worldly talk, though no official source explains why the Tanakas chose it.
Seeing Senjitei
Senjitei is not open every day. The Tanaka Family Museum has opened it on announced dates, for example April 19 and 20, 2025, and April 18, 2026, so check the museum's website for the next opening.
From the road the Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki is largely hidden behind the front barn. Mie Prefecture photographed the pavilion and its wall from the south, which suggests the river side gives the fullest view.
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Q&A
- When was the Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki (Senjitei) built?
- In 1883, with an extension around 1907.
- What kind of building is Senjitei at the Tanaka Family Residence?
- A sukiya-style guest pavilion of a gabled west wing and a hip-and-gable east wing, open on the river side to borrow the view of the stream.
- Can I visit Senjitei at the Tanaka Family Residence in Hase?
- Not every day. The Tanaka Family Museum opens it on announced dates, such as April 2025 and April 2026.
- Where is the Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki?
- On the south side of the old highway, behind the front barn, partly projecting over the stone wall above the Kushida River.
- Why was Senjitei registered?
- It was registered in 2018 for its contribution to the historic landscape, as a refined reception room that draws the river scenery inside.
Basic Information
| Name | Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki (Senjitei) |
|---|---|
| Location | 212 Hase, Iitakacho, Matsusaka City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/11/2 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 116 square metres |
| Owner | Private (per Matsusaka City; blank in the national database) |
| Public Access | Opened on announced days (Tanaka Family Museum) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Tanaka Family Residence Front Zashiki (Senjitei) (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012568
- Tanaka Family Residence Main House and 10 other properties (Matsusaka City)
- https://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/site/culture-info/tanakakejyutaku01.html
- Summary of new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Mie (Mie Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/000792558.pdf
- Tanaka Family Museum, Hase (official website)
- https://www.tanakahazemuseum.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
