A small building at the workshop gate
The Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room (古梅園製墨説明所, Kōbaien Seiboku Setsumeisho) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the small building at the entrance to the ink workshops where the process is explained at Kobaien, the sumi ink maker founded in 1577; it was built in the early Shōwa era (from 1926) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1998/01/16 (number 29-0012). The Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room stands near the centre of the plot, toward the west, exactly where you pass into the ink workshops. It is a single-storey building with a gabled roof and its entrance on the long side, small in footprint but tall for its size.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Shōwa era: timber, single storey, tiled, with a building area of 15 square metres, the smallest of the 25 registered buildings.
From meeting room to explanation room
It was built for receiving guests and doing business. It stands on the line between the household and the works.
According to the Agency, it later became the place where visitors are told how ink is made, and is well known for it. Collecting soot, melting glue, kneading, moulding, drying in ash and straw, polishing: the Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room is where that long process is laid out before you go further in.
Seeing it
The Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room lies inside the Kobaien property and is not open to the public; it can scarcely be seen from the street or the lanes. The Agency describes it as the place where visitors on a tour are told how ink is made.
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 Ink-Making Explanation Room?
- A small single-storey building at the entrance to the ink workshops, used to explain the ink-making process to visitors.
- What was the Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room built for?
- Receiving guests and conducting business.
- How large is the Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room?
- A single-storey timber building of 15 square metres, the smallest of the 25 registered Kobaien buildings.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room?
- It is not open to the public. Factory visits are by reservation; ask Kobaien what the visit covers.
- When was the Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0012.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room (古梅園製墨説明所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0012 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof; building area 15 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 Ink-Making Explanation Room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000460
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Ink-Making Explanation Room
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/185190
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
