The Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall is an attractive facility, not only for its exterior but also for its tasteful and relaxing atmosphere inside.
This facility surrounded by black painted boards is where tea is judged and is called the Haikendai. It is a distinctive facility for the tea industry, as it allows light in from above and allows teamakers to assess the subtle colors and textures of the tea leaves and tea under stable natural light.
The fourth image shows the first Uji City Tea Competition held in 4. When it was first built, it was installed on the east side of the first floor and was about half its current width, and was later moved to the second floor.
The viewing platform at the Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall is the largest still standing in Uji. (Courtesy of Uji City Historical Museum)
The third training room on the second floor is a Western-style hall, with a suspended floor for the upper seat on the east side.
The ceiling is a coffered vaulted ceiling with the plywood from 1928 still remaining, creating a dignified atmosphere.
The third image shows a meeting attended by the mayor of Kyoto and others in 3. (Provided by Uji City Historical Museum)
The main entrance door is a wooden door that was originally built at the time. It was not used for a while, but was reopened after renovation work in 28. Originally, it was designed to open inwards.
The entrance is heavily decorated like shrine or temple architecture. A finned lion's mouth for a scroll of sutras is placed at the edge of the ridge, and there are finned kegyo, frog legs, and decorations on the edges.
It was used when Emperor Showa visited Uji in 26. Emperor Showa also visited various parts of Japan between February 21 (Showa 1946) and August 2 (Showa 29), during the period of chaos and reconstruction following the Second World War.
A brightly decorated transom in the entrance hall.
The first training room on the first floor still contains a safe that has been in use since it was installed when the building was constructed in 1. It is a solid structure with the floor reinforced with bricks.
It was discovered wrapped in a newspaper from 23.
It is believed to have been exhibited at the exposition at that time.
Painting and other repairs were carried out in 21.
A balustrade is a fence or wall installed at the edge of a bridge or corridor, and is a structure intended to prevent falls and for decorative purposes. The balustrades of the Tea Industry Hall and Ujikami Shrine have many things in common in terms of structure and design.
Specifically, it is composed of three horizontal members, with the arrangement of the ① scaffolding beams on the top level, the ② flat girders on the middle level, and the ③ ground coverings on the bottom level being similar.
Similarities can also be seen in the ④ Tatarazuka, which is a beam sandwiched between the flat beams and the ground covering, and the Oyabashira, which supports the crossbeam, flat beams, and ground covering.
Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall
Ujigami Shrine
Kaerumata is a detail in old Japanese architecture, and is a member installed on top of a crossbeam (beam, girder). It was given this name because it looks like the legs of a frog.
Its role as a structural material was to distribute and support the load, but from the late Heian period onwards, its role as a decorative material came to be emphasized.
Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall
Ujigami Shrine
A lion's mouth is a ridge decoration on the roof.
A gegyo is a decorative board that is hung from the gable board of the roof of a shrine, temple, castle, etc. It protects the roof from rain and wind, and in the case of wooden buildings, it serves to hide the ends of the ridgepole and beams. Gegyo means "to pour water" by hanging a fish, which has a deep connection with water, on the roof, and it has been attached as a fire prevention charm to protect against fires.
Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall
Ujigami Shrine
Kugikakushi (nail cover) is a wooden or metal decoration used in Japanese architecture to hide the heads of nails hammered into nageshi (railings) or doors. The Tea Industry Hall has both nail covers that have remained since its construction and those newly made during the renovation in 28.
Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall
Ujigami Shrine
Funahijiki is a boat-shaped bracket that is placed directly on top of the pillars to support the eaves beams. It is a characteristic structure seen in both the Tea Industry Hall and Ujikami Shrine.
Kyoto Prefectural Tea Industry Hall
Ujigami Shrine