Reception Rooms in the Sukiya Manner
The Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado (風間家旧別邸無量光苑釈迦堂, Shakadō) is a sukiya-style guest pavilion built in 1910 in Izumimachi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 February 2002. The Kazama merchant family used it to entertain visitors, and it is the heart of the Muryokoen villa.
The plan is simple: two tatami reception rooms and a small anteroom. The entrance is on the west side, while broad verandas under deep Tsuchibisashi eaves run along the east and north, so the rooms look onto the garden in two directions. The roof is a copper-clad Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable. The national database gives a building area of 78 square metres, compact for a merchant's villa.
The sources disagree on its height. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database describes the Shakado as a single-storey timber building, while the Kokunensha foundation that owns it describes it as a two-storey building. It is worth looking at the roofline yourself.
Why It Was Registered
The Shakado was registered as a model of design, registration number 06-0042, the first of the six Muryokoen structures to be listed.
The official description calls it a small but high-quality Sukiya-zukuri building made from select timber. The foundation points to the generous use of top-grade Japanese cedar and says the building's structure and detailing make it a useful reference for the study of villa architecture. With no living quarters to accommodate, the builders could put all their care into a few rooms meant for guests, and it shows.
Despite the Buddhist name, this is a residence. The ninth head of the Kazama family set a small stone figure of Shaka, the historical Buddha, in the Tokonoma alcove, and the building has been called Shakado, "Shaka hall," ever since.
Details Worth Hunting For
Look up at the horizontal tie beams on the walls. The nail heads are hidden under decorative covers, Kugikakushi, and the foundation counts seven designs: flying cranes, paulownia leaves, flower lozenges, fourfold flower lozenges, arrowhead leaves, paulownia crests and folded paper cranes. Each room has its own, and finding them all takes longer than you might expect.
At floor level beside the alcove is a chin-kuguri, a small arched opening named after the lapdogs that could slip through it. It was made in early summer 1913 by Inagaki Hachirō, said to be an associate of Shūtei, who made the one at Heishindo, the family's main house.
The framed inscription Muryōkō, "immeasurable light," has hung here since the villa was new. It was written by Mokuan, one of the three great calligraphers of the Ōbaku Zen school. Together with the stone Buddha, it gave the building its name.
Then sit down on the east veranda. The low eaves trim the top of the view and the garden settles into a wide horizontal frame, exactly as a guest seated here was meant to see it.
Visiting the Shakado
During the open season, visitors to the Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado may step up into the rooms and sit on the veranda to look at the garden. Of the six Muryokoen structures, this is the one whose interior you can explore properly.
The stone Buddha, the calligraphy and the nail covers can all be seen up close, but ask at reception or check the signs before taking photographs indoors. The villa is closed in winter, so the Shakado can be seen only between 15 April and 30 November.
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Q&A
- Can you go inside the Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado?
- Yes. Between 15 April and 30 November, paying visitors can step up into the reception rooms and sit on the veranda overlooking the garden.
- Why is the Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado called a Shaka hall?
- The ninth head of the Kazama family placed a stone figure of Shaka, the historical Buddha, in the alcove. The building itself is a residence built for entertaining guests, not a temple.
- When was the Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado built and registered?
- It was built in 1910 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 February 2002, registration number 06-0042.
- What should I look for inside the Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado?
- The seven designs of nail covers, the chin-kuguri opening made in 1913, the Muryōkō calligraphy by Mokuan and the view of the garden from the east veranda.
- Is the Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado a one-storey building?
- Sources differ. The national database lists it as single-storey, while the owning foundation describes it as two-storey. Its building area is 78 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Kazama Family Former Villa Muryokoen Shakado (風間家旧別邸無量光苑釈迦堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6-20 Izumimachi, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002/02/14 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, copper roof, building area 78 square metres |
| Owner | Kokunensha Public Interest Foundation |
| Public Access | Interior open 15 April to 30 November (admission charged) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties — 風間家旧別邸無量光苑釈迦堂
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002602
- Cultural Heritage Online — 風間家旧別邸無量光苑釈迦堂
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/167912
- Tsuruoka City Board of Education — List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (PDF)
- https://www.city.tsuruoka.lg.jp/bunka/rekishi/shitei-bunka-ichiran.files/15_registeredtangibleculturalproperties.pdf
- Heishindo (Kokunensha) — Muryokoen Shakado
- https://heishindo.jp/shakado/
- Heishindo (Kokunensha) — Visitor Information
- https://heishindo.jp/guide/
- Heishindo (Kokunensha) — English site
- https://heishindo.jp/en/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
