A Bathhouse Dressed as a Temple Hall
The Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse (金具屋別館臨仙閣浴堂) is the bathhouse of an inn annex of 1929 in Shibu Onsen, Yamanouchi Town, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a gabled sheet-iron roof running east to west, a small vent-like roof on the ridge and lean-to roofs on the north and south sides, with a building area of 75 square metres; registration number 20-0414.
Across the Lane from the Main Building
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse stands east of the annex's main building across a narrow lane. A central corridor runs through it, with the men's and women's baths placed to the north and south.
Inside, the large bath borrows the vocabulary of a Buddhist hall: round columns spanned by curved rainbow beams, bearing blocks with saucer-shaped bases carrying bracket arms, and a roof frame of inverted-V sasu rafters. The Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse brings the parts of temple architecture into a working bathhouse.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse for its contribution to the historic landscape. Its record dwells on the large bath, where round columns, rainbow beams and bracket sets of the kind found in temple halls dress a purely practical building.
What to Look For
Outside the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse, look for the small vent-like roof perched on the ridge and the lean-to roofs projecting north and south; the little raised roof on top of the gable is the sign of a bathhouse.
Just west of the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse, across the lane, stands the annex main building of the same year, 1929 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
Kanaguya's current list of baths does not include the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse, and no official information on bathing in or touring it was found. The exterior can be seen from the lane.
Q&A
- What is the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse?
- A single-storey timber bathhouse of 1929, with a central corridor dividing the men's and women's baths (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I bathe at the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse?
- It is not among the baths Kanaguya currently lists, and no official information on bathing or tours was found.
- What should I look for in the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse?
- The temple-like interior of the large bath, with round columns, rainbow beams and bracket sets (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse?
- In Shibu Onsen, Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, across a lane east of the annex main building (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse registered?
- On October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse (金具屋別館臨仙閣浴堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2145-3 Hirao and other lots, Yamanouchi-machi, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/10/28 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, sheet-iron roof, 75 m² |
| Owner | Kanaguya Hotel Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access; exterior visible from the street |
References
- Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009017
- Baths (Kanaguya, Japanese)
- https://kanaguya.com/onsen/spring
Last verified: 2026.10.29
