The Inner Reception Rooms of the Wakihonjin
The Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room (旧小諸脇本陣離座敷) is the detached reception wing of a post-town wakihonjin of the late Edo period in Ichimachi, Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 3, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof, partly in metal sheet, and a building area of 85 square metres; registration number 20-0561.
It stands in the middle of the west side of a long north-south plot and is joined to a corridor running back from the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency dates it to the late Edo period and records a renovation in 2019. Today it is Aoi, the most formal guest room of Wakihonjin no Yado Kumeya (Kumeya).
Four Rooms and a Formal Main Room
The Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room is a gabled building roofed in pantiles, its ridge running north to south, with lean-to eaves added on the south and north sides (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Inside, four rooms are laid out in a two-by-two grid, and the main room, of eight tatami mats, has an alcove, display shelves and a writing bay.
Kumeya describes the approach along a tatami corridor that wraps around the courtyard behind the main house. The room is in the formal shoin style, with a Tokonoma and staggered shelves, and the Ranma transom of the writing bay holds a wood carving of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the detached reception room for its contribution to the historic landscape, as one of the buildings that keep the character of a post-town wakihonjin. Set apart from the main house by a corridor, deep in the plot, with a main room fitted with alcove, shelves and writing bay, it appears to have been built for the most important guests.
What to Look For
The highlight is the carving of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove in the transom of the writing bay, which Kumeya singles out as especially fine. Notice too how the alcove, shelves and writing bay come together in the main room.
The Aoi room looks onto both the courtyard and the back garden, with seasonal trees and, beyond, the ridges of Mount Asama and the back street (Kumeya).
Visiting
The Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room is in use as the Aoi guest room, so only overnight guests can see it inside (Kumeya). Kumeya takes guests from Thursday to Monday (Mondays only for bookings of five or more) and closes entirely on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Because it stands deep in the plot, it is hard to see from the street without staying; the staff of the tea room in the main house can tell you more about it.
Q&A
- When was the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period; it was renovated in 2019.
- Can I see inside the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room?
- It is the Aoi guest room, so only overnight guests can go inside (Kumeya).
- What should I look for in the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room?
- The eight-mat main room with alcove, shelves and writing bay, and the carving of the Seven Sages in its transom.
- Where is the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room?
- In the middle of the west side of the wakihonjin plot in Ichimachi, Komoro, joined to the main house by a corridor.
- When was the Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room registered?
- On April 3, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room (旧小諸脇本陣離座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-18 Ichimachi, Komoro City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/04/03 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof partly in metal sheet, 85 m² |
| Owner | Komoro City |
| Public Access | In use as the Aoi guest room (interior for overnight guests only) |
References
- Former Komoro Wakihonjin Detached Reception Room (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013250
- History of Kumeya (Wakihonjin no Yado Kumeya, Japanese)
- https://www.kumeya.com/story/
- Stay and Facilities (Wakihonjin no Yado Kumeya, Japanese)
- https://www.kumeya.com/stay/
Last verified: 2026.10.20
