An Office Laid Out Like a Reception Room
The Former Arai Silk Mill Office (旧新井製糸所事務室, Kyū Arai Seishijo Jimushitsu) is a single-storey wooden building from the middle Meiji era standing toward the north of the Former Arai Silk Mill site in Nowata, Nogi Town, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 July 2011.
Its ridge runs east to west over a plan 9.1 metres long and 6.8 metres deep, with a building area of 58 square metres. It was renovated in 1991. Of the three registered buildings at the old mill, the office is the only one that uses no brick.
Despite the name, there is no plank-floored counting room inside. The Arai office consists of two tatami rooms, one of eight mats and one of six mats to its east, and the larger room is fitted with a Tokonoma alcove, a set of Tokowaki shelves beside it and a flat built-in reading window, the hira-shoin.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Arai Silk Mill Office was registered for contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a piece of modern Japanese-style architecture, singling out its finely worked Ranma, the carved or latticed transom panels set above the sliding doors.
An eight-mat room with a full alcove arrangement is the kind of space a household used for guests, which makes it tempting to imagine buyers and visitors being received here as well as accounts being kept. No record of how the room was actually used has been found.
What to Look At
One roof, two ends
The roof is covered in Sangawara-buki interlocking tiles and finishes differently at each end: a Kirizuma-zukuri gable to the east and a Yosemune-zukuri hip to the west. From the east you see a triangular gable wall; walk round to the west and the roof slopes down on all sides. A lean-to Geya skirts the building.
Verandas on three sides
Verandas run along the west, south and east faces, wrapping both tatami rooms. Only the north side has none, so the building opens to the south and to either end and stays closed toward the back.
The transoms
The Agency's description picks out the delicate transoms above all else. It gives no detail of their design or material, so they are the first thing to look for if you ever see inside the Arai Silk Mill Office.
Next door to the plaster storehouse
The plaster storehouse adjoins the office on its west side. A timber office beside a storehouse of red brick and white plaster is the defining view of the site.
Visiting
The Former Arai Silk Mill Office stands within a private residence, and as of October 2026 there was no regular arrangement for viewing the interior. It is not known whether the family's occasional openings include the office rooms.
Whether the office can be seen from outside the property has not been confirmed. Please do not enter the grounds.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Arai Silk Mill Office
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Arai Silk Mill Office built?
- It dates from the middle Meiji era and was renovated in 1991. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 July 2011.
- How big is the Arai Silk Mill Office?
- It is a single-storey wooden building measuring 9.1 metres by 6.8 metres, with a building area of 58 square metres.
- What kind of roof does the Former Arai Silk Mill Office have?
- A tiled roof that is gabled at the east end and hipped at the west end, with a lean-to running around the building.
- What is inside the Former Arai Silk Mill Office?
- An eight-mat room with an alcove, alcove shelves and a flat reading window, and a six-mat room to the east, with verandas on the west, south and east sides and finely made transoms.
- Can I visit the Former Arai Silk Mill Office?
- It stands within a private residence, and as of October 2026 there was no regular arrangement for viewing the interior. Please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Arai Silk Mill Office (旧新井製糸所事務室) |
|---|---|
| Location | 328-1 Nowata, Nogi Town, Shimotsuga District, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/7/25 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, 9.1 metres by 6.8 metres, building area 58 square metres |
| Owner | Private (owner field blank in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Private residence, not open (the site's buildings and papers are reported to be shown on an irregular basis) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Arai Silk Mill Office (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008645
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Arai Silk Mill Office (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/224596
Last verified: 2026.10.08
