After visiting Tokaikan, my friend and I visited the Kinoshita Mokutaro Museum, which is owned and operated by the City of Ito. It is located 5 minutes by foot from Ito Station and the admission is 100 yen. This museum is a tribute to the achievements of the late Kinoshita Mokurato - a medical scientist, writer, and artist. The museum opened in 1985, to mark the centennial of his birth. The house was built in 1835 and was the place where he was born. The house is a special cultural asset of Ito City as one of its oldest, well-preserved houses.
My friend and I went to Ito last Saturday. The first place we visited was Tokaikan, which was established by Yasutaro Inaba in 1928. With the opening of the Ito Train Line in 1938, the class of travelers changed from private hot springs guests to larger groups, so the interior of the building was redesigned and expanded. Famous master carpenters were commissioned and they divided the design of each floor. The top floor was build in 1949. The long history of Tokaikan as a Japanese inn came to an end in 1997, but it was reborn as a sightseeing spot in 2001. (Info from brochure). Paid admission is only 200 yen.
In this courtyard, there are large stones gathered from various locations and a pond garden showing a crane and a turtle.
Some of the rooms are made up like guest rooms of the time period, others are like mini museums.
If you are not familiar with Japanese inns, you might be wondering where the beds are. The futons are folded and stored away behind these sliding doors. Some of the guest rooms were just one room. Others were more deluxe with three rooms that could be closed off to make separate spaces.
Hot coals could be in this big pot to keep the room warm, while you sit on the cushion at this table.
There is a stream that flows outside the inn and can be seen from the little sitting area.
This large exhibition gallery features the artwork by sculptor Kenji Shigeoka.
There are three floors of rooms, and the third floor rooms can be rented for telework. On the top floor is a lookout area.
As in many places in Japan, you take your shoes off at the door and wear slippers while visiting. The stairs going up to the look out are narrow and slippery, so I think it is best to carry the slippers while walking up the stairs. Tokaikan is a 7 minute walk from the train station, and is open from 9 am to 9 pm, according to the brochure.
