Photo/Illutration A building formerly used by Jiro Osaragi as a teahouse stands by a garden with abundant nature. (Provided by Real Kamakura Estate)

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa Prefecture--A thatched-roof teahouse here that served as a meeting spot for a notable writer is up for sale, and the owners hope to attract a buyer keen on preserving the historic property and its nature-rich surroundings.

The building, constructed in 1919 in the Yukinoshita 1-chome district and used by writer Jiro Osaragi (1897-1973), is designated by Kamakura city as an important scenic spot.

Osaragi's niece and adopted daughter, Masako Nojiri, 90, and her 70-year-old son, Yoshifusa, decided to seek a buyer as they found upkeep difficult due to the financial burden to maintain the property and their age.

The one-story, 147-square-meter wooden building is located 9 minutes on foot from JR Kamakura Station and stands on a plot of more than 1,000 square meters.

The teahouse is located in the area that has been designated as one of the 100 best scenic spots in Kamakura as the area, situated near the approach to the famed Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, hosts traditional houses with exquisite gates and board fences.

Osaragi used the structure for his meetings with Ton Satomi (1888-1983) and other writers in the city as well as editors from publishing companies. When he arranged for a famous sushi chef to prepare “chirashi” scattered sushi there, an impressed guest described the experience as "the greatest luxury."

After Osaragi’s family started maintaining the property, it was used as a cafe on weekends until September this year and made accessible to the general public by a group working to preserve Kamakura's beautiful scenery.

Despite those efforts, maintaining the teahouse became increasingly costly.

The vast garden featuring a variety of flowers that bloom in the four respective seasons needs to be tended by gardeners several times a month, while roof maintenance costs a total of about 3 million yen ($28,000) every 10 years or so.

Although the Kamakura city government offers a subsidy, more than 1 million yen is necessary to cover the annual maintenance expenses.

"We've just repaired a wall damaged by Typhoon No. 15 (in September), as it was in danger of collapsing," said Yoshifusa.

On top of that, the land that houses the building is leased, so rent also has to be paid.

As real estate tax is higher for structures used for commercial purposes, making it difficult to find someone to buy the teahouse, Yoshifusa asked the municipality to preserve the building by relocating it elsewhere after he donates it.

Unable to reach an agreement with the city, Yoshifusa contacted Real Kamakura Estate, as the company has a track record of leveraging the advantages of old homes.

Believing that there must be someone who intends to preserve the garden and building carefully kept by Osaragi, who loved Kamakura, Real Kamakura Estate is looking for a new owner while stressing that "the scenery must be preserved," and "the existing design must be respected, though it can be renovated."

"Osaragi was a wonderful gentleman. When I was in elementary school, he brought me to a Kabuki theater," Yoshifusa said. "I want to find the right person to take over the property."