A Hipped-Roof Guest Wing Facing the River
Kajikaen Sangyoro (河鹿園山魚楼, Sangyorō) is a 2-story wooden guest wing of around 1930 facing the Tama River at Kajikaen, a former restaurant inn in Mitakehonmachi, Ōme City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 17, 2020.
Kajikaen Sangyoro runs east to west under a Yosemune-zukuri hipped roof clad in copper, with a building area of 72 square meters. Its name is read san-gyo-rō, roughly "mountain fish pavilion." The ground floor holds the Tsuki no Ma (Moon Room) and the upper floor the Momiji no Ma (Maple Room), each a suite of 2 connected rooms: 2 rooms of 8 tatami mats downstairs and 2 of 10 mats upstairs, so the upper suite is the larger.
An open porch under a small eave on the north side serves as the entrance, and the covered corridor starts here before stepping down east to Keibaian. Sangyorō is the first of the guest wings that descend the cliff.
Why Sangyorō Was Registered
Kajikaen Sangyoro was registered as a model of design, number 13-0441. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a Sukiya-zukuri reception suite of quiet workmanship built with choice timbers.
Sukiya design borrows from the tea room: instead of the formality of a samurai-style reception hall, it favors round logs, timber with the bark left on, and slender members. At Sangyorō this shows up less as ornament than as care in choosing wood and fitting it together, a sign that inns drawing guests to the Okutama valley in the early Showa years competed on the quality of their rooms.
An Outward-Facing Alcove and Big Glass Shoji
The first thing to find at Kajikaen Sangyoro is the half-bay Tokonoma on the east side. The Agency notes that it was built facing outward. A tokonoma, the display alcove for a scroll or flowers, normally sits at the back of a room; here it projects toward the building's eastern exterior.
The second is the veranda on the river side. It is fitted with large glass shoji, sliding screens with a fine lattice of wooden bars holding panes of glass rather than paper. With them closed, the valley still fills the room. Together with the room names, moon and maple, they make clear that Sangyorō was designed to bring the season indoors.
Visiting Sangyorō
During exhibition periods, when Kajikaen opens as a museum, the rooms of Kajikaen Sangyoro may be used to display scrolls and flowers. Which rooms open changes from show to show, so check the current exhibition if you particularly want to see Sangyorō.
The river view through the glass shoji is best in the early afternoon, when light from the south reaches deep into the room. Published information does not cover photography, so ask at reception.
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Q&A
- How do you pronounce Kajikaen Sangyoro, and when was it built?
- It is read Kajika-en San-gyo-rō. The 2-story wooden guest wing dates from around 1930 and faces the Tama River.
- Why is Kajikaen Sangyoro a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on August 17, 2020, as a model of design, recognized as a sukiya-style suite of restrained workmanship built with fine timber.
- What rooms does Kajikaen Sangyoro have?
- The Moon Room on the ground floor, 2 connected rooms of 8 tatami mats, and the Maple Room upstairs, 2 connected rooms of 10 mats.
- What design details stand out at Kajikaen Sangyoro?
- An outward-facing half-bay tokonoma on the east side, and large glass shoji with a fine wooden lattice along the river-side veranda. The north entrance is an open porch under an eave.
- Can I see inside Kajikaen Sangyoro?
- Its rooms may be open as exhibition spaces during exhibition periods (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays). Which rooms are shown varies by exhibition.
Basic Information
| Name | Kajikaen Sangyoro (河鹿園山魚楼) |
|---|---|
| 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 72 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 Sangyoro
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013363
- 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
