The waiting bench for the small tea room
The Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Teahouse Inner Waiting Arbor (内腰掛待合, uchi-koshikake-machiai) is a garden shelter for tea guests, built in 1937 in the garden of the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art in Uchida-cho, Izumi, Osaka Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006.
It stands just east of the Umemi Gate and frames the inner Roji leading to Soan, the small tea room. Its counterpart, the Outer Waiting Arbor by the Main Gate, serves guests bound for the larger Chosentei; this one serves guests going on to Soan.
At 1.5 by 1 ken and 5.2 square metres it is the smallest building among the registered structures. It has a copper-sheet gable roof, an open west side where guests sit, and a privy (setchin) at the east end.
Why it was registered
The shelter was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it shapes the inner garden leading to Soan.
The agency's account of the tea garden adds a precise observation: the position of the Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Teahouse Inner Waiting Arbor differs slightly from its counterpart in the Fushin-an garden at Omotesenke, but the stone water basin (tsukubai) sits in the same relation to the tea room. It is one of the few elements whose departure from the original is recorded.
What to look for
The south wall has a Shitaji-mado lath window braced with a bamboo strut, while the upper part of the north wall is left open to let in light and air. In a very small building, each wall is treated differently.
Note the privy under the same roof. Tea gardens often pair a waiting bench with a setchin, and here the arrangement is fitted into just 5.2 square metres.
Visiting
The shelter stands in Soan's inner roji, and the museum lists Soan as closed to the public. Whether visitors can enter the inner garden during the Sunday Chosentei opening depends on the arrangements that day.
Some areas are closed for conservation. Photography of the tea buildings is allowed, but tripods and selfie sticks are not.
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Q&A
- What is the Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Teahouse Inner Waiting Arbor for?
- It is a roofed bench where guests bound for Soan waited before being called in, with a privy at its east end.
- Where is the Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Teahouse Inner Waiting Arbor?
- Just east of the Umemi Gate, in the inner roji leading to Soan.
- How does the Inner Waiting Arbor differ from the Outer Waiting Arbor?
- The outer one serves Chosentei's outer garden; the inner one serves Soan's inner garden. At 5.2 square metres the inner one is smaller.
- Is the Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Teahouse Inner Waiting Arbor in the same place as at Omotesenke?
- Not exactly. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says its position differs slightly from the Fushin-an garden, though the stone water basin is placed the same way relative to the tea room.
- Can you see the Inner Waiting Arbor?
- Soan and its inner roji are listed as closed to the public; whether you can enter on a Chosentei opening day depends on the arrangements that day.
Basic Information
| Name | Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Teahouse Inner Waiting Arbor |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-6-12 Uchida-cho, Izumi, Osaka Prefecture (garden of the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/11/29 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, copper roof, building area 5.2 m² |
| Owner | Izumi City |
| Public Access | In Soan's inner roji; access depends on the day's arrangements |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Inner Waiting Arbor
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006028
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Tea Garden
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/411/00004133
- Kuboso Memorial Museum of Arts, Izumi: Facilities
- https://www.ikm-art.jp/sisetu/
- Osaka Bunkazai Navi: Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art Tea Rooms
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E5%92%8C%E6%B3%89%E5%B8%82%E4%B9%85%E4%BF%9D%E6%83%A3%E8%A8%98%E5%BF%B5%E7%BE%8E%E8%A1%93%E9%A4%A8%E8%8C%B6%E5%AE%A4%E3%80%80%E6%83%A3%E5%BA%B5%E3%80%80%E8%81%B4%E6%B3%89%E4%BA%AD%E3%80%80%E6%A5%A0
Last verified: 2026.09.24
