A black-plastered shopfront
The Kobaien Shop (古梅園店舗, Kōbaien Tenpo) in Tsubaicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, is the street-front shop 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 29-0005). The Kobaien Shop has been the public face of Kobaien in this corner of old Naramachi. It sits with its eaves parallel to the street, and above the ground floor rises a low tsushi upper storey. Both the front pent roof and the main roof above it are carried well forward on projecting seigai brackets.
The walls are finished in black plaster, and a weighty signboard hangs over the entrance. Unlike many merchant houses, the front uses little lattice and stands open across its width; the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Kobaien Shop as a solid, widely known shop building.
Where business met the household
Behind the Kobaien Shop stands the main house, joined to it by an entrance wing in the omoteya arrangement, where trade faces the street and the family lives behind. The office continues to the south under eaves of the same height, and at the northeast corner a roofed earthen wall links the shop to the house.
The Agency dates it to the early Taishō era and records a timber building of 2 storeys with a tiled roof and a building area of 56 square metres. It is not large, but the signboard, black walls and deep eaves largely define how Kobaien looks from the street.
Seeing it
The Kobaien Shop is a working shop, and during opening hours you can walk in and choose ink. Kobaien gives its hours as Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; hours can vary, so call ahead if you are travelling far.
For the whole frontage, stand on the far side of the street, where the black walls, the signboard and the two tiers of projecting eaves come into view together. 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 Shop?
- The street-front shop of the Nara ink maker Kobaien, a 2-storey timber building with black plaster walls and a large signboard.
- How old is the Kobaien Shop?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the early Taishō era.
- Can you buy ink at the Kobaien Shop?
- Yes. It is a working shop, open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. according to Kobaien.
- Can visitors see the Kobaien Shop?
- Yes. You can go in and buy ink during shop hours.
- When was the Kobaien Shop registered as a cultural property?
- On 1998/01/16, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 29-0005.
Basic Information
| Name | Kobaien Shop (古梅園店舗) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7 Tsubakiicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0005 |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/01/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 56 square metres |
| Owner | Kobaien Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open during shop hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Kobaien Shop
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000453
- Cultural Heritage Online — Kobaien Shop
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/180363
- Kobaien Co., Ltd. — Company profile and opening hours
- https://kobaien.jp/profile.html
Last verified: 2026.10.02
