Kauntei （かうんてい）

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Area: Iki

Category: History＆Culture

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Kauntei is a tea-ceremony house that was originally built in Tokyo in 1933 by a former branch of the Japanese imperial family. Then in 1942, it was gifted to an industrialist named Kumamoto Rihei in recognition of his contributions to the development of his neighborhood of Ishida Town here on Iki. Today, it is a Designated Cultural Property of Iki City.

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Information

Address		811-5215　長崎県壱岐市石田町石田西触1434-3
Parking		Parking lot available
Access		5 minutes by car from Indoji Port

It took half a year to carefully relocate the building from Tokyo to Rihei’s neighborhood, and it was completed in March of 1943. The building is constructed in the manner of Heian era palatial architecture and is considered to have an elegance and exquisiteness that places emphasis on harmony with nature.
Located nearby is Kumamoto Rihei’s former residence, which, along with its gates and stone wall, have been recognized for the high level of civil engineering technology of the day. Not only do they look beautiful, but they have also withstood the test of time, and both the tea-ceremony house and the former Kumamoto residence are designated as Japan’s Important Cultural Properties.
Kumamoto Rihei moved to the Korean Peninsula at the age of 24 and ran a vast plantation. While contributing to the business world in Korea, he was also committed to the industrial development of his hometown of Ishida district and of Japan as a whole, in addition to the advancement of education in particular.