A Six-Mat Room in the Garden
The Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex (旧堀田古城園北離れ, Kyū-Hotta Kojōen Kita-hanare) is a detached single-storey timber guest room built in 1933 in Ote, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021.
It is the northernmost of three small buildings standing in a row along the east edge of the old restaurant grounds, behind the main house, with the south annex and the tea house beyond. The whole building is essentially one Zashiki of about six Tatami mats, with a footprint of 24 square metres under a hipped sheet-metal roof.
The national database records a 2017 renovation on top of the original 1933 construction, and what you see today is the building as it emerged from that work.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs points out that it shapes one corner of the grounds.
The walls are Shinkabe, with the timber frame left visible, and the garden side is glazed. At only 24 square metres, the annex was still designed to open outward to the garden rather than close in on itself.
The detailing is what lifts it. Some of the sliding doors are faced with kinkarakami, an embossed decorative paper, and the Tokowaki, the shelved recess beside the display alcove, has low cupboards below and small cabinets above. The agency describes the effect as refined, and it suggests a restaurant making up in finish for what a small room lacked in size.
What to Look For
Directly south stands the south annex, built to the same size and plan; the national database says even the alcove arrangement matches. Walk past the pair from the northeast and the matching hipped roofs and exposed-frame walls read as twins.
The one difference the database records is the kinkarakami, mentioned only for the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex. The paper is pressed into relief patterns and then painted, a material used to give a room status. If you get a permit to go inside, look closely at the door panels.
Through the garden-side glass, the room has an intimate scale that feels very different from the broad reception rooms of the main house.
Visiting the North Annex
The exterior of the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex can be seen from the garden during museum hours. Entry requires a permit from the information desk, and interior visits are limited to 1 hour.
The room's use has shifted over time. Photographs in the national database label it a rest room and storage, while Kofu City presents it as a shop run by the confectioner Kikyoya. Ask at the desk on the day whether you can go in and how much of it is open.
Directions, opening days and fees for the whole site are on the Former Hotta Kojoen page.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex built and registered?
- It was built in 1933, renovated in 2017 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021.
- What kind of building is the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex?
- A detached single-storey timber guest room centred on a six-mat tatami room, with a hipped sheet-metal roof, exposed-frame walls, garden-side windows and a building area of 24 square metres.
- How does the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex differ from the South Annex?
- The two were built to the same size and plan. The national database mentions kinkarakami paper on some of the sliding doors only for the North Annex.
- Can I go inside the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex?
- With an entry permit from the museum information desk you can visit for up to 1 hour. The interior has been used as a shop and for other purposes, so check what is open on the day.
- Where is the Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex on the grounds?
- Behind the main house, at the north end of the row of three small buildings along the east edge of the lot. Walk round the east side of the main house and the North Annex, South Annex and Tea House appear in that order.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex |
|---|---|
| Location | 3735-1 Ote 3-chome, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/2/4 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, sheet-metal roof, building area 24 square metres |
| Owner | Kofu City |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable during opening hours; interior by permit from the information desk (up to 1 hour) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013538
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Hotta Kojoen North Annex
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/550525
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hotta Kojoen South Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013539
- Kofu City: Takeda Clan Residence Site History Museum (Shingen Museum)
- https://www.city.kofu.yamanashi.jp/rekishi_bunkazai/kofu-takedashirekishikan.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
