A kitchen where the craftsmen ate
The Kobaien Kitchen (古梅園台所, Kōbaien Daidokoro) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the single-storey kitchen attached to the south of the main house 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 29-0022). The Kobaien Kitchen is a single-storey building attached to the south side of the main house as a lower wing. Although joined to the house, it is divided from it by an earthen wall and served a separate purpose: it was where the ink makers took their meals.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Taishō era: timber, single storey, tiled, with a building area of 48 square metres.
A divider between front and back
Inside, a raised wooden floor, the hiroshiki, lies to the south and an earth floor to the north, crossed east to west by a working passage. The building sits between the street side, with its shop and office, and the interior of the property, and the Agency notes that the Kobaien Kitchen marks the division between the two.
A place for the craftsmen to eat, right where the family house meets the workshops, says a good deal about Kobaien, where business and home share one plot. Next door to the west is the kettle house with its well.
Seeing it
The Kobaien Kitchen 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 was the Kobaien Kitchen used for?
- It was where the ink makers ate their meals.
- How is the Kobaien Kitchen connected to the main house?
- It is attached to the south of the main house as a lower wing, but separated from it by an earthen wall.
- How large is the Kobaien Kitchen?
- A single-storey timber building of 48 square metres.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Kitchen?
- It is not open to the public. Factory visits are by reservation; ask Kobaien what the visit covers.
- When was the Kobaien Kitchen registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0022.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Kitchen (古梅園台所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0022 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof; building area 48 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 Kitchen
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000470
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Kitchen
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/185200
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
