Former Residence of Kachonomiya: Building Open Days

What Are the Building Open Days at the Former Residence of Kachonomiya?

The Former Residence of Kachonomiya (旧華頂宮邸) in Jomyoji, Kamakura, is a Western-style house from the early Showa period. Its building is open to the public on only two days in spring and two days in autumn each year. The house was built in 1929 as the home of Marquis Hironobu Kacho, and on other days visitors can see only the garden. Admission is free and no reservation is needed.

Dates, Hours and Admission

The building is open on a Saturday and Sunday in spring (usually April or May) and in autumn (usually October or November). The hours follow the garden’s opening hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in spring (last entry 3:45 p.m.) and 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in autumn (last entry 2:45 p.m.). It goes ahead in rain but is canceled in heavy rain. The number of visitors inside at one time is limited to protect the building, so you may have to wait in line to enter.

In autumn 2026 it is open on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25.

The second-floor balcony on the south side is under emergency repair, so scaffolding and off-limits areas may be in place.

Highlights: Marble Fireplaces and a Curved Staircase

The building is a three-story wooden house in the half-timber style, with its posts and beams showing on the outer walls. It is said to be the second-largest prewar Western-style house in Kanagawa Prefecture after the Kamakura Museum of Literature. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan and is also designated by Kamakura City as an important landscape building.

You change into slippers at the entrance. On the first floor are the entrance hall, the main hall, the dining room and a sunroom facing the garden. On the second floor are Western-style rooms and Japanese-style rooms facing the garden, and a room with a washbasin. The third floor is not open to visitors.

The main highlight is the marble mantelpiece (fireplace) that remains in each room, with steam heating built inside. You can also see a curved wooden staircase with a red carpet, a wave-shaped ceiling over the stair hall, parquet floors and lights that differ from room to room, and small windows of colored glass. Much of the wallpaper and many of the lights were replaced in later renovations.

The French-Style Garden Seen from the Second Floor

From the second floor you can look down on the symmetrical French-style garden designed by the garden designer Keiji Uehara. Its geometric pattern is easiest to see from above, a view you can only get on the open days.

The lion fountain in the center of the garden was repaired in fiscal 2025 and now runs again from noon to 1:00 p.m. It uses well water and may stop when the water level falls. The copper roofs turn green over the years, and you can see the difference in color between the old roofs and the newly replaced ones.

The Muian Tea House and Coffee from Local Volunteers

On the open days, the Muian (無為庵) tea house at the back of the grounds and the Japanese-style garden are also open. You can step into the entrance of the tea house but cannot go up into the rooms, so you look inside from the entrance. Look for the ceiling with an octagonal center.

Inside the house, a local volunteer group serves coffee in the dining room and other rooms, paid for by donation into a collection box. There are also explanation panels and a model of the building, and flowers are arranged in the rooms.

Things to Know Before You Go

There are no toilets in the building, so use the public toilet at nearby Hokokuji Temple. There is no parking and no bicycle parking. The house is not barrier-free, and the second floor can be reached only by stairs. Strollers and large bags are left at the entrance.

Video recording is not allowed, and tripods, monopods and selfie sticks cannot be used inside. Please keep to one or two photos at each spot. You carry your shoes and umbrella in the bag you are given.

Access: Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place

From stop 4 at the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station, take a bus bound for “Kanazawa-Hakkei Station,” “Kamakura Reien Seimonmae Tachiarai” or the “Highland” loop, and get off at “Jomyoji.” The house is about a 6-minute walk past Hokokuji Temple. Walking from Kamakura Station takes about 35 minutes.

Hokokuji Temple, known for its bamboo grove, is right on the way, so you can visit both. Staying in Kamakura lets you head to the Jomyoji area in the morning and take your time. At Toshi’s Place, fully unstaffed smart hotels with full kitchens and no meals provided, you can explore Kamakura at your own pace.

Summary

The building open days are your only chance, twice a year, to go inside this early Showa house that can otherwise be seen only from outside. The marble fireplaces, the curved staircase and the symmetrical garden seen from the second floor can only be seen on these days. For the house and garden on regular days, see Former Residence of Kachonomiya.

Basic Information

Item	Details
Name	Former Residence of Kachonomiya Building Open Days
Dates	Twice a year, two days each, in spring (April–May) and autumn (October–November). Autumn 2026: Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25
Hours	Spring 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (last entry 3:45 p.m.) / Autumn 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (last entry 2:45 p.m.)
Rain	Held in rain; canceled in heavy rain
Venue	Former Residence of Kachonomiya (first and second floors of the house, Muian tea house, garden)
Address	2-6-37 Jomyoji, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0003
Admission	Free (no reservation needed)
Notes	Limited number of visitors inside at one time. Scaffolding and off-limits areas may be in place due to balcony repairs. No video, tripods or selfie sticks inside. No toilets in the building. No parking or bicycle parking
Access	Bus from stop 4 at JR Kamakura Station East Exit to “Jomyoji,” then about 6 minutes on foot. About 35 minutes on foot from Kamakura Station
Contact	Kamakura City Urban Landscape Division +81-467-61-3477
Official website	Autumn Building Open Days (Kamakura City, Japanese)

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