Fujiya Ryokan

A Landmark Inn on the Zenkoji Approach

The Fujiya Ryokan (藤屋旅館) is an inn building of 1924 in the approach to Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 12, 1997 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a three-storey timber building with a building area of 967 square metres; registration number 20-0004.

The Former Honjin of Zenkoji-juku

The Fujiya Ryokan faces the approach from Nagano Station to Zenkoji Temple (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was built when the street in front was widened to ten ken.

According to Nagano City, the Fujiya served from 1776 as the honjin, the official inn, of Zenkoji-juku on the Hokkoku road; the present building went up in 1924 after the widening of Chuo-dori in 1923. It was named the city's first landscape building.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency notes that its singular design has made it a familiar landmark at the gate of Zenkoji.

What to Look For

The exterior has a Western look of tiled concrete, but the structure is timber (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Nagano City notes the stone-like finish of washed reinforced render with tiles, and Victorian touches such as the rooftop parapet.

Visiting

The exterior can be seen from the Zenkoji approach. No official information on interior access was found.