A Seaside Villa of 1938 in Karatsu
The Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei (水野旅館観風亭) is a single-storey timber house in Japanese style built as a villa in 1938 on the shore overlooking Karatsu Bay at Higashi-jonai, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, and was registered with the inn's front gate as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 27, 2017. It is now the Yuri-no-ma guest room of the Mizuno Ryokan (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Mizuno Ryokan).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 156 square metres, renovated around 1971 and in the late 1970s to 1980s; registration number 41-107, owned by Mizuno Ryokan.
From Paper Merchant's Villa to Inn
According to the Mizuno Ryokan, the inn opened in 1953 when the previous owner acquired the villa of a paper wholesaler. In 1973 a samurai-house gate said to have come from Nagoya Castle (the Mizuno Gate) was moved here, and the main building followed in 1981.
Kanputei (the Yuri-no-ma room) keeps the look of the inn's early days and was registered together with the gate (Mizuno Ryokan). The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the gate as a late-Edo yakuimon moved here in 1973.
Why It Was Registered
The Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a fine former villa with neatly composed decorative alcoves.
What to Look For
The Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei consists of an entrance wing and a reception wing whose hip-and-gable roofs meet at right angles, creating a complex outline (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Behind the formal step of the entrance wing is a board-floored room, and the reception wing is raised as a mezzanine so that its wide veranda windows open onto Karatsu Bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Staying at the Mizuno Ryokan
The Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei is used as a guest room of the Mizuno Ryokan, so entry is by staying or dining at the inn. The inn is at 4-50 Higashi-jonai, Karatsu City, close to Karatsu Castle; telephone 0955-72-6201 (Mizuno Ryokan).
Q&A
- When was the Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei built?
- In 1938; it was renovated around 1971 and later (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was Kanputei originally?
- A paper wholesaler's villa, which became the Mizuno Ryokan in 1953 (Mizuno Ryokan).
- What is special about the Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei?
- Two wings with hip-and-gable roofs at right angles, and a mezzanine reception wing looking over Karatsu Bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I stay in the Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei?
- Yes; it is the inn's Yuri-no-ma guest room (Mizuno Ryokan).
- When was the Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei registered?
- On October 27, 2017.
Basic Information
| Name | Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei (水野旅館観風亭) |
|---|---|
| Location | 96-1 Higashi-jonai, Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 156 square metres |
| Owner | Mizuno Ryokan |
| Public Access | Guest room of the inn (by stay or meal) |
References
- Mizuno Ryokan Kanputei (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012071
- Mizuno Ryokan Gate (Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012072
- About Mizuno Ryokan (Mizuno Ryokan)
- https://www.mizunoryokan.com/history/
Last verified: 2026.10.10