The First Building at Kajikaen
Kajikaen Front Office and Main House (河鹿園帳場兼主屋, Kajikaen Chōba-ken-Omoya) is a 2-story wooden building of around 1925 at the northwest entrance of Kajikaen, a former restaurant inn in Mitakehonmachi, Ōme City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 17, 2020.
The Kajikaen Front Office and Main House runs east to west under a metal-sheet roof and covers 152 square meters. A Doma earth-floored passage runs through the middle of the south front, and the chōba, the front desk where guests checked in and settled their bills, sits alongside it. The kitchen occupies the north side. The western half of the ground floor and the whole upper floor housed the owner's family and a break room for staff.
Reception, cooking and daily life all happened under one roof. The building was extended in 1975, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the Front Office and Main House to the very beginning of Kajikaen, when the business was a rest stop for sightseers.
A Different Reason for Registration
Seven of the eight buildings at Kajikaen were registered as models of design. The Kajikaen Front Office and Main House is the exception: it was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country, under number 13-0440, the first in the site's consecutive run.
The guest wings earned their place through their rooms and joinery. The front office earned its place as part of the streetscape by the station. The Agency's description opens with its setting, close to Mitake Station on the cliff above the left bank of the Tama River, and for anyone stepping off the train this is the face Kajikaen shows first.
The business started here around 1925 and then spread down the slope, one guest wing at a time. That the starting point still stands is the heart of the building's value.
What to Look For
Look at how the doma and the front desk relate. The earth-floored passage leads straight in from the south, and the desk opens onto it, so a guest could stand in the passage, deal with the desk, and then be shown down to the rooms. It is the same arrangement found in merchant houses and traditional inns across Japan.
Note, too, where the kitchen is. Every guest wing at Kajikaen lies lower and further southeast, so food left the kitchen on the north side of the Front Office and Main House and travelled down the covered corridor to the tatami rooms. Movement through the whole site began in this building.
Visiting the Front Office and Main House
When Kajikaen opens as a museum during an exhibition, the Kajikaen Front Office and Main House is the building visitors pass through first. The Japan Tourism Agency notes a hall beside the reception desk that shows seasonal works. The upper floor and west half were private quarters, so expect the parts on view to vary from one exhibition to the next.
The south front can be seen from outside the entrance. Published information does not cover photography indoors, so ask at reception.
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Q&A
- When was the Kajikaen Front Office and Main House built, and what was it used for?
- It dates from around 1925 and was extended in 1975. The 2-story building combined the front desk, kitchen, family quarters and a staff break room, serving as the working core of the inn.
- Why is the Kajikaen Front Office and Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on August 17, 2020, as the only one of Kajikaen's eight buildings listed for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. It goes back to the business's earliest days as a rest stop.
- Can visitors go inside the Kajikaen Front Office and Main House?
- During exhibition periods (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays) it is the entrance building with the reception desk. Former living areas may or may not be open depending on the exhibition.
- What details should I notice at the Kajikaen Front Office and Main House?
- The earth-floored doma running in from the south front, with the front desk set beside it, and the kitchen on the north side, from which meals were carried down to the guest wings.
- How large is the Kajikaen Front Office and Main House?
- It is a 2-story wooden building with a metal-sheet roof and a building area of 152 square meters, running east to west.
Basic Information
| Name | Kajikaen Front Office and Main House (河鹿園帳場兼主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 335 Mitakehonmachi, Ome City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered on August 17, 2020 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-story wooden building, metal-sheet roof, building area 152 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Open during exhibition periods (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database of Cultural Properties: Kajikaen Front Office and Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013362
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kajikaen Front Office and Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/458459
- Ome City: Cultural Properties of Ome (Registered Tangible Cultural Properties)
- https://www.city.ome.tokyo.jp/site/provincial-history-museum/3143.html
- Japan Tourism Agency Multilingual Commentary Database: Kajikaen
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/R3-00536.html
- Ome Tourism Guide: Ryokan Building Shitsurai Art Museum Kajikaen
- https://www.omekanko.gr.jp/spot/11301/
Last verified: 2026.09.23
