The Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu
The Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu (大谷家住宅松庭湯, Ōtani-ke Jūtaku Shōteiyu) is an open-air bathhouse in the northeast corner of the Otani Family Residence in Inaricho, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, built in 1931 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
It went up at the same time as the Main House. Roughly one bay square, with a building area of 3.0 square metres, it is a single-storey timber structure with a gabled copper roof. Board walls close three sides; the south side, facing the garden, is left completely open.
Why the Shoteiyu Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that, simple as it is, the bathhouse shares the light, sukiya-style touch of the Main House. It was registered as a building that sets a standard for design.
The Main House has its own bathroom, according to published descriptions of the interior, so the Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu was probably built less for daily bathing than for soaking with a view of the garden. It is a small building that says a good deal about how the household lived.
What to Look For
The name is read Shoteiyu, not Matsuniwayu, as the furigana in the national database confirm. The characters mean roughly pine-garden bath.
The key idea is how it opens. Three sides are closed with boarding, and the fourth, to the south, is thrown open to the garden. Rather than a closed box, the bath works more like a garden pavilion, which is the same sensibility you find in the sukiya Main House.
The copper gable roof is kept thin and light, in proportion to a building only one bay across.
Visiting the Shoteiyu
The Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu stands inside the wall at the northeast corner of the grounds and is hard to see from outside. The estate is a private home and is closed to the public.
Visitors can view the Middle Gate and the Western-Style House from the old Nakasendo.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- How is the name of the Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu read?
- The bathhouse name is read Shoteiyu (しょうていゆ), as recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- What is the Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu?
- An open-air bathhouse in the northeast corner of the estate, about one bay square, walled on three sides and open to the garden on the south.
- Can visitors see the Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu?
- No. The estate is a private home and is closed, and the bathhouse sits inside the wall where it is hard to see from the street.
- How big is the Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu?
- About one bay square, with a building area of 3.0 square metres, under a gabled copper roof.
- When was the Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu built?
- In 1931, at the same time as the Main House. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
Basic Information
| Name | Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-3-39 Inaricho, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/2/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, copper roof, building area 3.0 square metres |
| Owner | Otani Shoji Limited Partnership |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the wall, hard to see from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Otani Family Residence Shoteiyu
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003837
- Smile Tsushin Vol. 56 (July 2014): #33 Fukaya, the Otani House (Japanese)
- https://www.sahn.jp/saitamanosumai/33.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
