A canteen below, an ash loft above
The Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room (古梅園食堂・脱衣室・灰替所, Kōbaien Shokudō, Datsuishitsu, Haigaesho) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the building that held the workers' dining room and changing room, with an ash-changing loft above 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 29-0014). The Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room is a building with a low tsushi loft, set against the polishing workshop. The ground floor held a dining room and changing room for the staff, and the space under the south eaves is left open as a covered walkway.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Taishō era: timber, 2 storeys, tiled, with a building area of 43 square metres. The walls are plastered in the ōkabe manner above a boarded base.
Where the ash was changed
The loft was originally an ash-changing room. Freshly moulded sticks are buried in damp wood ash and moved day by day into drier ash; Kobaien says this takes a week for small sticks and 30 to 40 days for large ones. The ash-changing room is where that reburying was done. Today the loft is used for storage.
Craftsmen ate and changed downstairs while the ink dried slowly in its ash overhead. The Agency regards the Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room as a valuable building for understanding how ink was made.
Seeing it
The Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room 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.
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Q&A
- What is the Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room?
- A building with a staff dining room and changing room below and a former ash-changing loft above.
- What was the ash-changing room at Kobaien for?
- Drying freshly moulded ink sticks in wood ash, changing the ash as they dried. The loft is now used for storage.
- How large is the Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room?
- A 2-storey timber building of 43 square metres.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room?
- It is not open to the public. Factory visits are by reservation; ask Kobaien what the visit covers.
- When was the Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0014.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room (古梅園食堂・脱衣室・灰替所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0014 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 43 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 Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000462
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Dining Room, Changing Room and Ash-Changing Room
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/165772
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — How sumi is made
- https://kobaien.jp/sumitanjyo.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
