Kakurin-tei (郭林亭) is a

Japanese tea house ''Chashitsu'' (, "tea room") in Japanese tradition is an architectural space designed to be used for tea ceremony (''chanoyu'') gatherings. The architectural style that developed for ''chashitsu'' is referred to as the ''sukiya'' style (''suki ...

located in the grounds of Kōno Park,

Saga City is the capital city of Saga Prefecture, located on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Saga was the capital of Saga Domain in the Edo period, and the largest city of former Hizen Province. As of August 1, 2020, the city had an estimated population of ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Originally built by Lord Nabeshima Naomasa.

History

The house was constructed in November, 1846 (Kouka 3) at Kōno Park, at the command of the 10th lord of the Saga clan, Lord Naomasa Nabeshima. It served the clan as a guest house, with visitors including Fulbeck and

Toshimichi Okubo Toshimichi is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Toshimichi can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Some examples: *敏道, "agile, way" *敏路, "agile, route" *敏通, "agile, pass through" *俊道, "ta ...

among others. Lord Naomasa was recognized as one of the most successful and powerful leaders of Japan in his time, and it is said that he relaxed from the rigors of politics at this tea house while composing poetry. Shortly before the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

when the clan system was abolished, the Kakurintei was transferred to the hands of Kazuma Nakano, a family retainer. His eldest son Chiaki then transferred ownership to the Saga Prefectural Girls' High School in Jonai, Saga City. Shortly thereafter, Japan entered the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and the structure gradually fell into disrepair. In 1960, it was cleared along with the Girls' School itself. In 1986 the Kakurintei Document was discovered, some 140 years after it was erected and a movement to reconstruct the Kakurintei was started under the auspices of the Saga Prefectural Culture Federation, the Saga Prefectural Tea Ceremony Association and other groups. Reconstruction was finally approved as a part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Saga City as a municipality in 1989. The reconstruction was based on one photograph, several old drawings, and the original structural materials, with the aid of computer analysis. After one year and five months, the structure was completed. Reborn as the Heisei Kakurintei, this famous building carries on the glorious intent of Lord Naomasa and will continue to be beloved by the people of Saga.

References

* Saga City Tourism Brochure: Tea House Kakurintei

External links

* Kakurintei Tea House: https://web.archive.org/web/20070528052237/http://www.shinpoo.jp/shisetsu/kakurin/kakurin.htm (in Japanese) {{coord missing, Saga Prefecture Buildings and structures in Saga Prefecture Chashitsu Tourist attractions in Saga Prefecture