The Lowest Guest Wing on the Cliff
Kajikaen Chinryutei (河鹿園枕流亭, Chinryūtei) is a 2-story wooden guest wing of around 1930 at the lowest point of Kajikaen, a former restaurant inn in Mitakehonmachi, Ōme City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 17, 2020.
Kajikaen Chinryutei stands below Keibaian to the east, on the terrace nearest the Tama River. It is an east-west building under an Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roof in copper, and at 55 square meters it is one of the smaller guest wings. The name, read chin-ryū-tei, means "pavilion pillowed on the stream," and no room at Kajikaen is closer to the sound of the water.
Chinryūtei was relocated and extended in 1954, which is when it arrived on its present terrace; the building itself goes back to the early Showa years.
How It Is Built, and Why It Was Registered
Because Kajikaen Chinryutei sits at the bottom of the slope, the corridor coming down from above meets it at the second floor. Guests entered upstairs and went down, the reverse of the other guest wings.
The ground floor has 2 rooms of 8 tatami mats, and the upstairs Yamabuki no Ma (Kerria Room) is another pair of 8-mat rooms. The key detail is what is missing: there is no veranda. Instead of a strip of engawa between room and view, the rooms themselves open straight toward the river, so a seated guest is that much closer to the water.
Chinryūtei was registered as a model of design, number 13-0443. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a high-quality guest wing that conveys the boom years of Okutama tourism, showing how a gorge-side inn of the Showa era built its best riverside rooms.
What to Look For
At the foot of the corridor, look at where it joins the upper floor of Kajikaen Chinryutei. Arriving from above is the defining experience of an inn built into a cliff, and here you feel it most clearly.
In the rooms, check the river side for the missing veranda. Slide the screens open and the edge of the floor gives directly onto the air of the gorge. From the riverbank, the hip-and-gable roof reads clearly as the anchor at the foot of the whole site.
Visiting Chinryūtei
During exhibition periods, when Kajikaen opens as a museum, the rooms of Kajikaen Chinryutei may be used as galleries. The rooms shown change between exhibitions, so check ahead if Chinryūtei is your main interest.
It is the lowest building on the site, reached by the corridor's stairs and ramp; visitors with limited mobility should ask at reception. Ask there about photography as well.
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Q&A
- How is Kajikaen Chinryutei pronounced, and how old is it?
- It is read Kajika-en Chin-ryū-tei. The 2-story wooden guest wing dates from around 1930 and was relocated and extended in 1954.
- Where is Kajikaen Chinryutei within the Kajikaen site?
- Below Keibaian to the east, at the lowest point of the site and closest to the Tama River. The covered corridor joins it at the second floor.
- What are the rooms like in Kajikaen Chinryutei?
- Two 8-mat rooms on the ground floor and the Kerria Room upstairs, another pair of 8-mat rooms. There is no veranda; the rooms open directly toward the river.
- Why is Kajikaen Chinryutei a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on August 17, 2020, as a model of design, described as a high-quality guest wing that conveys the boom years of Okutama tourism.
- Can I go inside Kajikaen Chinryutei?
- Its rooms may be open as galleries 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 Chinryutei (河鹿園枕流亭) |
|---|---|
| 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 55 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 Chinryutei
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013365
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kajikaen Chinryutei
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/432772
- 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
