At Menuma Shodenzan: Mizuya Pavilion
The Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion (歓喜院水屋) is a water pavilion for ritual hand-washing built between 1883 and 1897 at Menuma Shodenzan Kangiin Temple in Menuma, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 May 2017.
The Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion stands in front of the Niomon gate, slightly to the south. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a timber structure, tiled roof, area 3.4 square meters.
It measures 1 bay by 1 bay under a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof of pantiles, its posts leaning slightly inward, with a stone water basin at the centre.
Why It Was Registered
The Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion carries registration number 11-0167 and was registered on the same day as the other eight structures in the precinct, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it gives an impression of luxury and weight out of proportion to its size: a hand-washing pavilion of only 3.4 square meters, carved and bracketed to the same standard as the gates around it.
What to Look For
Inward-Leaning Posts
The four posts tilt slightly inward as they rise, a device that steadies the look of a small structure. Stand square in front of it and the lean is visible.
Heavy Beams and Big Struts
Demigumi brackets carry thick tie beams, and the beams, the oversized Kaerumata frog-leg struts and the coved panels are all carved. Look up while you rinse your hands and the small roof turns out to be crowded with carving.
Visiting
The Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion stands by the Niomon gate on the approach and can be seen by anyone in the precinct, which is always open and free.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion?
- The Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion stands by the Niomon gate on the approach and can be seen by anyone in the precinct, which is always open and free.
- When was the Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion built and registered?
- A water pavilion for ritual hand-washing built between 1883 and 1897, registered on 2 May 2017 as number 11-0167.
- How is the Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion built?
- Timber structure, tiled roof, area 3.4 square meters.
- What is inside the Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion?
- A stone water basin set at the centre.
- What makes the Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion distinctive?
- Inward-leaning posts, thick tie beams on demigumi brackets, and carving on beams, struts and coves, rich for so small a building.
Basic Information
| Name | Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion (歓喜院水屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1511 Menuma, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/5/2 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber structure, tiled roof, area 3.4 square meters |
| Owner | Kangiin (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Precinct always open and free (exterior viewing) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011456
- Cultural Heritage Online, Kangiin Mizuya Pavilion (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/274742
- Tourism Resources of Kumagaya (Saitama Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/soshiki/b0110/hokubutiikinogaiyou/gunmadc-kankousozai-kumagaya.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
