A Taishō reception wing, moved into place
The Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing (若林家住宅座敷棟, Wakabayashi-ke Jūtaku Zashikitō) is a single-storey wooden reception wing built in 1924 in Inukata-cho, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, moved to its present site in 1928, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 29 November 2016. It adjoins the west side of the main house and has a building area of 108 square metres.
According to Shiga Tobunkai, the association of registered-property owners in Shiga, the zashiki wing and the tea room are said to have been brought from an earlier family plot northwest of the present one. In other words, a building four years older than the main house was moved here and attached to its west side.
The roof is a pantiled (Sangawara-buki) hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) form. At the west end the ridge drops a step lower, and a lean-to roof (Geya) runs around the building.
Why it was registered
The Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing was registered as a model of architectural design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a reception wing of quality and dignity.
The plan is simple: a main room of 12 and a half tatami mats beside a second room of 10 mats, the pair wrapped in corridors. Beyond the corridors lie gardens to both south and north, and the rooms look out on each.
On the west side of the main room is a Tokonoma, with staggered seirō shelves topped by a small cupboard in the Tokowaki beside it, and a built-in writing alcove (Tsukeshoin). Alcove, shelves and writing desk together make up the full formal set of the Shoin-zukuri reception room. Between the two rooms runs a finely worked openwork (Sukashibori) transom, the Ranma.
This was the room for the most important guests, and nothing in it was skimped. What earned the registration is how completely it preserves the detailing of a high-quality Taishō-era reception room.
What to look for
The character of the Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing comes from its two gardens. To the south lies the main pond-and-stroll garden; to the north, according to the family's website, is a garden lined with Korean stone figures and paved with large stepping stones resembling old temple foundation stones. A single reception wing facing two very different gardens back to back is only possible because corridors enclose the rooms on every side.
Dropping the ridge at the west end makes the roofline step down as it moves away from the main house, which gives depth to the overlapping roofs when seen from the garden.
The tea room continues the line further to the southwest. In the diagonal procession of main house, reception wing and tea room, the zashiki wing is the link in the middle.
Visiting
The Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing is part of a private home and its interior is not open to the public. It sits west of the main house, deep inside the plot, and cannot be seen from the road on the north side.
The only chances to see the alcove, shelves and writing desk are when the owner rents part of the house as event space or holds tea ceremony and flower arrangement events. Ask through the owner's website if the reception wing is included. Directions are on the Wakabayashi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shiga
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing
- [ Hikone Castle & Lake Biwa Cruise Experiences ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing?
- Its interior is not open to the public, and it cannot be seen from the road because it stands deep inside the plot. It may be possible to enter during the owner's occasional events or rental bookings; check the scope in advance.
- When was the Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing built?
- It was built in 1924 and moved to its present site in 1928. It is said to have come from an earlier family plot to the northwest.
- What are the main features of the Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing?
- The 12 and a half mat main room has a tokonoma, seirō shelves topped by a small cupboard, and a built-in writing alcove on its west side, and a delicate openwork transom separates it from the 10-mat second room.
- What gardens can be seen from the Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing?
- Because corridors surround the rooms, they look out on gardens to both south and north: the main pond-and-stroll garden to the south, and a garden with Korean stone figures to the north.
- What kind of roof does the Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing have?
- A pantiled hip-and-gable roof whose ridge drops a step lower at the west end, with a lean-to roof running around the building.
Basic Information
| Name | Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing (若林家住宅座敷棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 758 Inukata-cho, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration No. 25-0387, criterion: a model of architectural design |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/11/29 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, hip-and-gable roof with pantiles, building area 108 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (not visible from the road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Wakabayashi Family Residence Zashiki Wing
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011338
- Wakabayashi Family Residence (Shiga Association of Registered Tangible Cultural Property Owners)
- https://shiga-tobunkai.org/catalogue/koto/431
- Wakabayashi Family Residence (owner-run website, Japanese)
- https://shiga-bunka.com/
- List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties in Hikone (Hikone City)
- https://www.city.hikone.lg.jp/kakuka/kanko_bunka/8/2_2/4655.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
