The Wing the Inn Poured Its Best Into
Yoshino no Mune occupies the southwestern edge of Arai Ryokan in Shuzenji, set apart like a detached villa. It connects to the neighbouring Hana no Mune, yet keeps its own separate entrance, so a guest can arrive and leave without passing through the rest of the inn. Completed in 1935, it is remembered as the building on which the inn lavished the most care.
That reputation rests on materials as much as on plan. The rooms were finished with fine Amagi cedar, timber from the forests of the nearby Amagi range, prized for its close, even grain. Choosing such wood for a two-storey guest wing of 231 square metres was a statement of intent by an inn that could have built more cheaply and chose not to.
A House Shaped by Artists
By the 1930s the third proprietor, Aihara Mokuho, had drawn a circle of painters around the inn. The Nihonga master Yasuda Yukihiko is credited with a hand in several of the buildings from this period, among them the Tenpyo Obathhouse of 1934, the Kannon-do hall, and Yoshino no Mune itself. Whatever the exact division of labour, the wing carries the mark of a place where architecture and painting were discussed at the same table.
The generous room proportions read as deliberate restraint. Instead of packing in guests, the plan gives each room air and a clear view outward. This is the logic of an inn that hosted writers such as Izumi Kyoka and Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and that understood a quiet room as part of what it was selling.
What to Look For
Notice the separate entrance first. It signals the villa-like independence that guests of Yoshino no Mune were meant to feel. Inside, look closely at the cedar: run your eye along a post or a ceiling board and follow the straight, fine grain that marks good Amagi timber. Wood this even was not easy to source even in 1935.
From the windows, take in the southwestern position at the edge of the grounds, which keeps the wing a little apart from the busier heart of the inn. Registered as a model of design in 1998, Yoshino no Mune is best appreciated slowly, the way it was meant to be lived in.
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Q&A
- Why is Yoshino no Mune considered special among the inn's buildings?
- It is remembered as the wing the inn put the most effort into, with spacious rooms and fine Amagi cedar throughout. It was built in 1935 at the southwestern edge of the grounds.
- What is Amagi cedar?
- It is cedar from the Amagi mountains of the Izu Peninsula, valued for its fine, even grain. The rooms of Yoshino no Mune were finished with this timber.
- Did the painter Yasuda Yukihiko really design it?
- Yasuda Yukihiko, a close friend of the third proprietor, is credited with designing several inn buildings of this period, including Yoshino no Mune, the Kannon-do and the Tenpyo bathhouse.
- Does it have its own entrance?
- Yes. Although it is linked to the adjoining Hana no Mune, Yoshino no Mune keeps a separate entrance, giving it the feel of a detached villa within the inn.
- When was it registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in September 1998, one of fifteen Arai Ryokan buildings, under the criterion of serving as a model of design.
Basic Information
| Name | Arai Ryokan Yoshino no Mune |
|---|---|
| Location | 1026-1, 1026-2 and 1027 Shuzenji, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registered 2 September 1998; announced 25 September 1998) |
| Registration No. | 22-0028 |
| Built | 1935 (Showa 10) |
| Count | 1 building |
| Structure | Timber, two storeys, tiled roof; building area approx. 231 m²; finished with Amagi cedar |
| Registration criterion | A model of design |
| Owner | Arai Ryokan Ltd. |
| Access | About 10 min by bus from Shuzenji Station (Izuhakone Railway), then a short walk from the Shuzenji Onsen stop |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database — Arai Ryokan Yoshino no Mune
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000787
- Arai Ryokan — Guide to the Registered Cultural Properties
- https://arairyokan.net/bunka.htm
- Arai Ryokan — Wikipedia (Japanese)
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/新井旅館
Last verified: 2026.07.11