A Landowner's Guest Hall of 1912
The Igantei (怡顔亭) is a guest hall built in 1912 by a landowner of Tonome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 6, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof, partly copper-sheeted, and a building area of 257 square metres, renovated in the mid-Showa period; registration number 15-0592, owned by Furuyashiki Sonzoku Co., Ltd.
A Hall for Receiving Guests
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Igantei was built by a Tonome landowner to receive guests, and stands facing south in the middle of the site.
Niigata Tourism Navi introduces the Hosaka residence, home of a wealthy farming family of Tonome, and describes its detached wing, the "Igantei", as contrasting a temple-style entrance with a sukiya-style main block. The family is said to have begun growing the lotuses of Takada Castle Park (Niigata Tourism Navi).
Why It Was Registered
The Igantei was registered as a structure that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a modern Japanese-style building whose large entrance catches the eye.
What to Look For
The building has a hip-and-gable roof of pan tiles, entered from the long side (hirairi), with a copper-roofed entrance under a cusped karahafu gable at the front. Two rooms lie south of a central corridor and three to the north, with an earth-floored veranda on the north side (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
In the southeast room, the alcove side has a window of fine kumiko latticework and a cupboard with a comb-shaped opening, showing delicate design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
According to Niigata Tourism Navi, the Hosaka residence opens only during its public openings, usually in May and November, and for booked group visits; at other times it is closed. A maintenance contribution of 800 yen is asked (free for high school students and younger).
The Igantei's address is 482 Terabata, Tonome, Joetsu City, and other lots (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Hosaka residence is at 488 Tonome, about 30 minutes on foot from Takada Station on the Echigo Tokimeki Railway (Niigata Tourism Navi).
Q&A
- When was the Igantei built?
- In 1912 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is 怡顔亭 read?
- Igantei (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of building is it?
- A landowner's guest hall with a hip-and-gable roof and a copper-roofed cusped-gable entrance (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit it?
- The Hosaka residence opens to the public usually in May and November, and for booked groups (Niigata Tourism Navi).
- When was it registered?
- On March 6, 2024.
Basic Information
| Name | Igantei (怡顔亭) |
|---|---|
| Location | 482 Terabata, Tonome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/03/06 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof partly copper-sheeted, building area 257 square metres |
| Owner | Furuyashiki Sonzoku Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open during the Hosaka residence's public openings (usually May and November) |
References
- Igantei (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014788
- Hosaka residence (Niigata Tourism Navi, Japanese)
- https://niigata-kankou.or.jp/spot/43401
Last verified: 2026.10.14
