One frontage with the shop
The Kobaien Office (古梅園事務所, Kōbaien Jimusho) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the office building that continues the shopfront to the south 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 29-0006). The Kobaien Office stands against the south side of the shop, with its eaves parallel to the street and a low tsushi upper floor. Its height and eaves are kept a step below the shop, but the front is designed to match, so from the street the two read as one frontage.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Taishō era and records a timber building of 2 storeys, tiled, with a building area of 120 square metres.
Great door, lattice and garage
The front falls into three parts. At the north end is a large ōdo door, the way into the passage that runs back into the property. The centre is the office room itself, fitted with lattice doors. The south end was later converted into a garage.
Even with that change, the Agency says the Kobaien Office still shows the traditional merchant frontage of Naramachi well. Behind its south end runs the finishing workshop, which was the office before this one, so the move of the paperwork toward the street can be traced on the plot.
Seeing it
The inside of the Kobaien Office is a working office and is not open to visitors, but the exterior can be seen from the street.
Shop hours, how to book a factory visit and directions from the station are on the Kobaien page.
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Q&A
- Where is the Kobaien Office?
- On the street, attached to the south side of the Kobaien Shop.
- What does the front of the Kobaien Office look like?
- A large door at the north end, a lattice-fronted office in the centre and a former bay converted to a garage at the south end.
- How old is the Kobaien Office?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Taishō era.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Office?
- The interior is not open, but the exterior can be seen from the street.
- When was the Kobaien Office registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0006.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Office (古梅園事務所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, and other locations |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0006 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 120 square metres |
| Owner | Kobaien Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Interior not open; exterior visible from the street |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kobaien Office
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000454
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Office
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/113334
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
