What Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse Is
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse is a single-storey timber building of 1908 in Kojima Ajino, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, entered on the national register of tangible cultural properties in 2000. It stands south of Yuyotei and held the bath reserved for honoured guests.
A corridor open along one side connects it to Yuyotei. Setting the bath apart from the main range, roofing it and joining it by a covered walk shows that Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse was built for guests who stayed the night.
The roof is hipped and tiled, with copper along the eaves alone. The building covers 11 square metres, just enough for bathing and undressing.
Why It Is Registered
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse was registered in 2000 with the number 33-0036, under the criterion of contribution to the historic landscape of the nation, as one building in the Taikado group.
Small as it is, the finish is careful. On the two sides facing the garden the lower wall is packed with bamboo, and the plaster above is grey with horizontal banding. Both belong to sukiya practice and suit a building standing among tearooms.
The bath itself is part of the record. That a late Meiji estate put up a separate bathhouse for guests within the garden says a good deal about how long visitors were expected to linger at Yuyotei.
What to Look For
Come close to the lower wall on the garden side of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse. Bamboo packed edge to edge reads as a single striped surface from a distance, and only near to does each rounded stem separate out.
The horizontal banding in the grey plaster also shifts with the direction of the light. A few faint lines across a grey field is about as restrained as ornament gets.
The copper at the eaves has weathered to a settled tone. It draws a thin line where it meets the tile, which helps in following the outline of the roof.
Visiting
The interior of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse is closed and cannot be entered. It lies deep in the garden beside Yuyotei, so even visitors admitted during the Kojima Hinameguri festival may not be able to approach it.
Whether the route extends this far depends on the year's arrangements. Check in advance with the Kojima branch office of Kurashiki City or the former Nozaki Residence museum. Follow the photography notices posted on the day. Directions and the current opening dates are on the Nozaki Family Villa Taikado page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- What was Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse for?
- It was the bathhouse for honoured guests, standing south of Yuyotei and joined to it by a corridor open on one side.
- How big is Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse?
- A single-storey timber building of 11 square metres, hipped and tiled with copper along the eaves.
- How are the walls of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse finished?
- The two garden-facing sides have lower walls packed with bamboo, with grey plaster above banded horizontally in sukiya style.
- When was Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse built?
- In 1908, at the same time as Yuyotei and Seiten.
- What is the registration number of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse?
- 33-0036. It was entered on the register of tangible cultural properties on 28 April 2000.
Basic Information
| Name | Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-8-34 Kojima Ajino, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 11 m2 |
| Owner | Naikai Salt Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed; opened during the Kojima Hinameguri festival |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Yuyotei Bathhouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001634
- Nozaki Family Villa Taikado, Main House and Twelve Other Structures (Kurashiki City)
- https://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/culture/art/1007596/1007597/1011206/1007792/1007796.html
- Kojima Hinameguri (Kurashiki City, Kojima Branch Office)
- https://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/culture/tourism/1001881/1011764/1008061/1011533.html
Last verified: 2026.09.13
