From staff rooms to changing room
The Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom (古梅園更衣室兼物置, Kōbaien Kōishitsu ken Monooki) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the building that once housed live-in staff at Kobaien, the sumi ink maker founded in 1577; it was built around 1926, at the start of the Shōwa era and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/01/16 (number 29-0026). The Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom is a timber building north of the product storehouse, partly 2 storeys high. It once held rooms for staff who lived on the premises, and is now used as a changing room and for storage.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to around 1926, the start of the Shōwa era: timber, single storey with a 2-storey part, tiled, with a building area of 64 square metres.
Grown by two extensions
The building reached its present form through about two rounds of extension on either side of the 2-storey section in the middle. It was not built in one go, and the mix of single-storey and 2-storey parts shows how it was enlarged as needs arose.
The Agency describes the Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom as a facility typical of its time for the people who made the ink. Along with the dining room and bathhouse it shows how Kobaien's workers lived, and in particular that some of them lived in.
Seeing it
The Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom lies inside the Kobaien property and is not open to the public; it can scarcely be seen from the street or the lanes.
Kobaien takes factory visits by reservation, with a hand-gripped ink experience in the ink-making season; ask when booking which buildings the visit includes. Shop hours, how to book a factory visit and directions from the station are on the Kobaien page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- What was the Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom originally?
- A building with rooms for live-in staff.
- What is the Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom used for today?
- As a changing room and for storage.
- How large is the Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom?
- Single storey with a 2-storey part, with a building area of 64 square metres.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom?
- It is not open to the public. Factory visits are by reservation; ask Kobaien what the visit covers.
- When was the Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0026.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom (古梅園更衣室兼物置) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0026 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey with a 2-storey part, tiled roof; building area 64 square metres |
| Owner | Kobaien Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (factory visits by reservation) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000474
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Changing Room and Storeroom
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/113354
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
