Kyoto: Imperial Tea House Given Fresh Roof of Cypress Using Traditional Technique

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:02 JST, January 10, 2026

KYOTO — Work is underway to replace the roof of Seikatei, a tea house located in the Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace.

The current building was reconstructed in 1808, but Seikatei is believed to date back to the early 18th century.

The roof is made of sawara cypress, a water-resistant wood, and thin rectangular boards are layered on top of each other using a traditional technique called kokera-buki, which is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The roof is replaced every 20 years, and the current work began in June.

After removing the sawara boards, which were made brittle by moss growth and bird damage, workers began layering on about 50,000 boards in November. Each board is about 30 centimeters long, about 6 centimeters to 9 centimeters wide and about 3 millimeters thick.

The Imperial Household Agency’s Kyoto Office allowed the press to see the work site on Dec. 22. Craftsmen lined up in rows, layered on the boards and fastened them in place with bamboo nails.

The layering work is scheduled to be finished this month, and the entire project is expected to be completed by March.