An Annex of 1929 on the Riverside Street
The Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building (金具屋別館臨仙閣本館) is the main building 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 an L-shaped building facing south onto a riverside street, with a hip-and-gable roof in sheet iron, 3 storeys above a basement and a building area of 303 square metres, remodelled in 1940; registration number 20-0413.
A Trial Run for the Saigetsuro
Kanaguya's history pages show the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku under construction in 1929 and present it as the inn's first attempt at a tall timber building. The sixth-generation owner, then in his mid-twenties, toured well-known buildings around Japan with local shrine and temple carpenters to gather ideas, and bought forest land to secure timber.
According to the same account, what was learned on the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building fed into the plan for a four-storey timber building, realised as the Saigetsuro in 1936.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building for its contribution to the historic landscape. Its record notes the bands of windows on every floor, the eaves and verandas that build up a layered facade, and an interior that changes character from floor to floor: red walls and polished log posts on the second, namako tile-and-plaster and plain plaster walls on the third.
What to Look For
From the street, look at the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building's rows of windows and the eaves stepping out at each floor; a short walk along the street shows how the L-shaped wing turns the corner.
Across a narrow lane to the east stands the bathhouse built the same year, the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Bathhouse; together the two made up the annex (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
Kanaguya's current room and bath listings do not include the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building, and no official information on staying in or touring it was found. The exterior can be seen from the street in Shibu Onsen.
Q&A
- When was the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building built?
- In 1929, with a remodelling in 1940 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I stay in the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building?
- It is not among the rooms Kanaguya currently lists, and no official information on staying in or touring it was found.
- What is the interior of the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building like?
- Each floor is finished differently: red walls and polished log posts on the second, namako and plain plaster walls on the third (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building related to the Saigetsuro?
- Kanaguya says the experience of building the Rinsenkaku led to the plan for the four-storey Saigetsuro.
- When was the Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building registered?
- On October 28, 2011 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building (金具屋別館臨仙閣本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2147-1 Hirao, 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, 3 storeys and 1 basement level, sheet-iron roof, 303 m² |
| Owner | Kanaguya Hotel Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access; exterior visible from the street |
References
- Kanaguya Annex Rinsenkaku Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009016
- History of Kanaguya, part 3: Taisho to early Showa (Kanaguya, Japanese)
- https://kanaguya.com/archives/history/history03
- Facilities (Kanaguya, Japanese)
- https://kanaguya.com/rooms/facilities
Last verified: 2026.10.29
