A heavy U-shaped work block
The Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse (古梅園磨き作業所兼倉庫, Kōbaien Migaki Sagyōjo ken Sōko) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the U-shaped polishing workshop and warehouse 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 29-0013). The Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse is a 2-storey building laid out in a U, its thick plastered walls giving it a heavy, solid look. It was built to store ink moulds and similar equipment, and is now used for polishing ink as well as for a garage and storage.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Shōwa era: timber, 2 storeys, tiled, with a building area of 164 square metres, second in size only to the main house.
A rail line through one wing, a lane door in the other
Through the south wing runs the rail of a small work line that comes in from the east side of the property, laid for moving loads around the works; it is one of the clearest signs that this is a factory. The north wing stands on the property boundary, with a door out to the lane.
Kobaien explains that once the sticks have dried, each one is washed free of ash, warmed briefly over charcoal to soften the surface, and burnished with a clam shell until it shines. The Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse is where that late stage of the work is done.
Seeing it
The Kobaien property is a private home and a working factory, and the interior of the Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse is not open. Its exterior can be seen from the lane along the north side of the plot. The north wing sits on the boundary, with its door onto the lane.
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 work is done in the Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse?
- Polishing dried ink sticks to a shine; Kobaien says they are burnished with a clam shell.
- What was the Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse originally?
- A store for ink moulds and similar equipment.
- What is distinctive about the Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse?
- It is a U-shaped 2-storey plastered block of 164 square metres, with a work rail running through its south wing.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse?
- The interior is not open, but the exterior can be seen from the lane to the north.
- When was the Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0013.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse (古梅園磨き作業所兼倉庫) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0013 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 164 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 Polishing Workshop and Warehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000461
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Polishing Workshop and Warehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/137731
- 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
