The house behind the shop
The Kobaien Main House (古梅園主屋, Kōbaien Shuoku) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the family residence behind the shop at Kobaien, the sumi ink maker founded in 1577; it was built early in the Taishō era (1912 to 1925) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/01/16 (number 29-0007). The Kobaien Main House stands behind the shop and is joined to it by an entrance wing. Shop, entrance wing and house follow one another from front to back in the omoteya arrangement, so from the street the Kobaien Main House itself is barely visible.
The main block is 2 storeys, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls the whole a refined piece of Japanese domestic architecture. It is dated to the early Taishō era: timber, tiled, with a building area of 180 square metres, the largest of the registered buildings.
A white gable on the lane
On its north side the Kobaien Main House has a lower ochimune wing whose gable end faces the lane along the north of the property. Here the wall is built in the ōkabe manner, with the posts hidden under plaster.
The tall wall that closes the north end of the courtyard is plastered in the same way and continues as the main house north wall to the gable of the detached parlor. A house hidden from the street thus gives the back lane a continuous white wall, which the Agency cites as its contribution to the townscape.
Seeing it
The Kobaien property is a private home and a working factory, and the interior of the Kobaien Main House is not open. Its exterior can be seen from the lane along the north side of the plot.
Shop hours, how to book a factory visit and directions from the station are on the Kobaien page.
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Q&A
- What is the Kobaien Main House?
- The family residence behind the Kobaien Shop, linked to it by an entrance wing in the omoteya arrangement.
- How large is the Kobaien Main House?
- A 2-storey timber building with a building area of 180 square metres.
- Can the Kobaien Main House be seen from the street?
- Hardly, as it sits behind the shop. From the lane to the north you can see the plastered gable of its lower wing.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Main House?
- The interior is not open, but the exterior can be seen from the lane to the north.
- When was the Kobaien Main House registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0007.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Main House (古梅園主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0007 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 180 square metres |
| Owner | Kobaien Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior not open; exterior visible from the lane to the north |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kobaien Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000455
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/147065
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
