A Nikko Hotel Wing Moved to Mashiko
The Former Nanma Hotel Annex (Mashiko Yuwakan) (旧南間ホテル別館（ましこ悠和館）) is the annex of a hotel at Yumoto, Nikko of around 1929 in Mashiko, Mashiko Town, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 3, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a metal roof and a building area of 298 square metres, moved in 1973 and renovated in 2019; registration number 09-0252.
A U-Shaped Japanese-Style Hotel
The former Nanma Hotel Annex was moved from Yumoto in Nikko to its present site in the east of Mashiko (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its U-shaped plan has hip-and-gable wings projecting from both ends of a hip-and-gable main block, and its exposed-post walls skilfully take in Japanese-style details such as cantilevered railings and bracketed eaves. Fine timbers are used for the floors of the guest rooms.
According to Mashiko Town, the Nanma Hotel was founded in Nikko in 1882, and the building was moved to Mashiko in 1973. In the war it was the evacuation residence of the then Crown Prince, now the Emperor Emeritus, who is said to have heard the radio broadcast of the imperial rescript ending the war in its Gozasho room, which survives. The owner donated it to the town in 2016, and a Peace Gallery and other spaces for learning about peace were prepared.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes it as a fine example of a modern Japanese-style hotel, skilfully using Japanese details and fine timbers, and registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the hip-and-gable wings of the U-shaped plan and the cantilevered railings and bracketed eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Mashiko Town (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The town set out plans to show the Gozasho room and the Peace Gallery, but no current official information on opening hours or fees was found.
Q&A
- When was the annex built?
- Around 1929; it was moved to Mashiko in 1973 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where did it stand originally?
- At Yumoto in Nikko.
- What is its history?
- It was the wartime refuge of the then Crown Prince (Mashiko Town).
- What is its form?
- A U-shaped plan with wings at both ends of the main block.
- When was the Former Nanma Hotel Annex (Mashiko Yuwakan) registered?
- On April 3, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nanma Hotel Annex (Mashiko Yuwakan) (旧南間ホテル別館（ましこ悠和館）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4264-8 Mashiko, Mashiko Town, Haga District, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/04/03 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, metal roof, 298 m² |
| Owner | Mashiko Town |
| Public Access | No official information on opening hours |
References
- Former Nanma Hotel Annex (Mashiko Yuwakan) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013225
- Former Nanma Hotel project (Mashiko Town, government crowdfunding page)
- https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/441
Last verified: 2026.10.23