[Sankiro Ryotei]

Sankiro used to be one of Mojiko's most prestigious ryotei restaurants. With a total floor space of over 1,200 square meters, the three-story wooden structure is one of the largest existing ryotei buildings in Kyushu. Located on top of a small hill, it commands a panoramic view of the Kanmon Straits.

In 1889, Moji Port was designated as a special export port by the government, and Moji Station of the Kyushu Railway opened. This led to rapid connections between land and sea transport in northern Kyushu, and financial institutions, local and central capital trading companies, and branches of shipping companies successively established themselves in the Mojiko district, which also became a gathering place for business and cultural figures. Visitors to the Kanmon area may have enjoyed a drink overlooking Mojiko Port and the sea, which led to foreign countries, and may have engaged in discussions about the modernization of Japan.

The Moji Shimpo, one of the three major local newspapers in Fukuoka Prefecture, published in the former Moji City at the time, described the building as "elegant and solid with the best of old and new, with a total of 15 different floor plans of various sizes and a fine view, and as a ryotei, it presents an unparalleled view in Kitakyushu.” The view from the restaurant is magnificent and unparalleled in Kitakyushu as a ryotei.

When you visit Sankiro, you will notice many design features. In particular, each room had its own base windows and transoms, which kept guests entertained and entertained.

A "shimajimado" is a window in which part of the clay wall is not painted, exposing a small base made of bamboo or reed, and is found in Japanese tea ceremony rooms and private houses. They are often used in traditional Japanese architecture and come in a variety of shapes. You may have seen the circle, which is said to represent the spirit of "Zen and Entsu," or the inome, which is derived from the eyes of the wild boar and is meant to ward off evil and bring good luck.

In Sankiro, you can see pine, bamboo, and plum trees, as well as mountains and clouds, all of which can be easily imagined by looking at the shapes of the buildings, and also narrative elements that reflect the local tradition of rice cultivation, such as the saying, "When lightning strikes the rice field, it brings a good harvest.

Visitors are free to tour the museum and enjoy Kanmon fugu (blowfish) cuisine. Nowadays, the view of the Kanmon Straits cannot be seen due to the rows of tall buildings around the building, but there are rooms where you can see the Mojiko area, so you can imagine the time that passed in this place at that time. Why not visit when you are in the neighborhood?

Sankiro
https://goo.gl/maps/YEKoHQH2U1wXQxfe6
Wakamatsu Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/wakamatsu.html

References
https://www.mojiko.info/3kanko/sankiro/
https://www.japanheritage-kannmon.jp/bunkazai/index.cfm?id=9
http://www.kaito.ne.jp/kaito-sankirou.html