A Separate House for Guests
The Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing (藤岡家住宅別座敷, Fujioka-ke Jūtaku Betsu-zashiki) is a guest building of 1853 in Konnaicho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006. It stands in the northwest corner of the compound and is the most formal building on the property.
The single-storey timber building has a hip-and-gable (irimoya) roof running north to south, wrapped by a lean-to skirt roof (Geya). On the east is a formal entrance with its own hip-and-gable roof and raised step (Shikidai); on the west, a tea room (Chashitsu) and other rooms project as wings. Every roof is in pantiles. The building area is 99 square metres.
The core is two fine 8-mat rooms with an alcove and shelves, plus a 6-mat room behind the entrance.
Built to Receive Rank
The Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing was registered as a model of architectural form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a formal facility for receiving guests.
A headman’s household had to receive officials and visitors of standing. This building separated that duty from the family’s living quarters and gave it a front door of its own. It was added about twenty years after the Main House of 1832, when the household was at its height.
The house managers describe a late Edo “room for distinguished guests” and a tea room, the former built with its threshold one step higher than the waiting room to mark it for honoured visitors. Given the two 8-mat rooms in a north–south line and the tea room projecting to the west, these rooms appear to be the Annex Reception Wing.
The Raised Threshold and the Tea Room
Look for the threshold between the two 8-mat rooms. If the inner room sits a step higher, that is the seat of honour. Sitting there, you feel how a small change of level fixes the positions of guest and host.
Notice the fittings too: paper screens with diamond-pattern lattice set against straight bars, and carved transoms (Ranma) that lend the room a quiet elegance. Among the furnishings is a brazier bearing both the imperial chrysanthemum and the Tokugawa hollyhock crests, which tends to stop visitors in their tracks.
At the far west is a proper tea room entered through a low crawl-in door, with a privy beyond. From formal reception to tea, the whole sequence of hospitality is contained in one building.
Visiting the Annex Reception Wing
The Annex Reception Wing is open on opening days of the house museum. The rooms and tea room can be booked for haiku gatherings, tea ceremonies and meals, so access may be limited on event days.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- When was the Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing built?
- In 1853. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006.
- What was the Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing used for?
- Receiving guests of standing. It has its own formal entrance, two 8-mat rooms with alcove and shelves, and a tea room entered through a low crawl-in door.
- Where is the room for distinguished guests at the Fujioka Family Residence?
- The rooms the managers call the room for distinguished guests and the tea room appear, from their layout, to be in the Annex Reception Wing. The honoured room has its threshold one step higher than the waiting room.
- Can I visit the Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing?
- Yes, on opening days of the house museum. It is sometimes used for tea gatherings and haiku meetings, so call ahead to be sure.
- Why was the Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing registered?
- As a model of architectural form. With two fine 8-mat rooms fitted with alcove and shelves, it was judged a formal facility for receiving guests.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing (藤岡家住宅別座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 526 Konnaicho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0099; criterion: model of architectural form |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/03/02 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber structure, hip-and-gable roof, pantile roofing, building area 99 square metres |
| Owner | Private (Fujioka family); managed by NPO Uchinono Yakata |
| Public Access | Interior open on Fujioka Family Residence opening days (admission charged; closed Mondays); rooms may be in use on event days |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs — Fujioka Family Residence Annex Reception Wing
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005340
- Gojo City — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Gojo
- https://www.city.gojo.lg.jp/soshiki/kankoshinko/5_1/5/2110.html
- Nara Prefecture official tourism site (Aoniyoshi Naratabi Net) — Fujioka Family Residence
- https://yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/03history/02old_house/04south_area/fujiokake/
- Ee Koto Nara (Nanto Bank) — Fujioka Family Residence open to the public
- https://www.nantokanko.jp/osusume/5875.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
