Two Entrances on Two Levels
Kajikaen Keibaian (河鹿園渓梅庵, Keibaian) is a 2-story wooden guest wing of around 1930 at Kajikaen, a former restaurant inn in Mitakehonmachi, Ōme City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 17, 2020.
Kajikaen Keibaian stands one terrace below Sangyorō, to its east, and runs east to west under a copper-plate roof, with a building area of 104 square meters. The name, read kei-bai-an, means something like "valley plum retreat." It was renovated around 1964 and extended in 1989.
What sets Keibaian apart is how you get in. The covered corridor along its north side changes height here to follow the slope, and the building uses that step to give each floor its own entrance. From the upper corridor you walk straight into the second-floor rooms; from the lower corridor, straight into the ground floor. No inside staircase is needed.
Rooms and the Case for Registration
The ground floor of Kajikaen Keibaian has 3 rooms side by side: Fuji no Ma (Wisteria, 6 tatami mats), Kikyō no Ma (Bellflower, 8 mats) and Tsubaki no Ma (Camellia, 8 mats). Upstairs, Yuri no Ma (Lily) is a suite of 8 and 6 mats. Every room is named for a flower.
Keibaian was registered as a model of design, number 13-0442. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the polished logs used for the Tokobashira alcove post and the otoshigake, the crosspiece above the alcove opening, in what it calls a striking Sukiya-zukuri suite. Polished logs are cedar trunks stripped of bark and rubbed until the grain shines, a favorite material of sukiya carpenters.
A plan that solves the slope with its entrances, and rooms finished with restraint: Kajikaen Keibaian shows both in a single building.
What to Look For
Inside, compare the alcove post with the crosspiece above it. Neither is squared timber; both are round logs, their polished surfaces catching the light softly. The effect is very different from the crisp, squared alcoves of formal reception rooms.
On the corridor, pause along the north side of Kajikaen Keibaian. Where the floor level shifts, both entrances open onto the passage, one above the other. From here the link between the slope of the site and the layout of the rooms is clearer than anywhere inside.
Visiting Keibaian
During exhibition periods, when Kajikaen opens as a museum, the rooms of Kajikaen Keibaian may serve as galleries. Which rooms open differs between exhibitions.
The two north entrances are passed by anyone who walks the corridor. Published information does not cover photography, so ask at reception.
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Q&A
- When was Kajikaen Keibaian built, and what kind of building is it?
- It is a 2-story wooden guest wing from around 1930, renovated around 1964 and extended in 1989.
- Why does Kajikaen Keibaian have two entrances?
- The corridor on its north side changes height to follow the slope, so each floor has its own door onto the corridor at a different level.
- What rooms are in Kajikaen Keibaian?
- The Wisteria Room (6 mats), Bellflower Room (8 mats) and Camellia Room (8 mats) on the ground floor, and the Lily Room upstairs, a suite of 8 and 6 mats.
- Why was Kajikaen Keibaian registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered on August 17, 2020, as a model of design: a sukiya-style suite notable for polished logs used for the alcove post and the crosspiece above the alcove.
- Can visitors see inside Kajikaen Keibaian?
- Its rooms may be open as galleries during exhibition periods (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays). What is shown varies by exhibition.
Basic Information
| Name | Kajikaen Keibaian (河鹿園渓梅庵) |
|---|---|
| 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, copper-plate roof, building area 104 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 Keibaian
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013364
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kajikaen Keibaian
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/404731
- Ome City: Cultural Properties of Ome (Registered Tangible Cultural Properties)
- https://www.city.ome.tokyo.jp/site/provincial-history-museum/3143.html
- Ome Tourism Guide: Ryokan Building Shitsurai Art Museum Kajikaen
- https://www.omekanko.gr.jp/spot/11301/
Last verified: 2026.09.23
