Kyū-Iwasaki-tei Teien
The Kyū-Iwasaki-tei Teien Park ( Japanese 旧 岩崎 邸 庭園 ) is located in the Taitō district , Tokyo, not far from Ueno Park . The garden is one of nine gardens, which are summarized as Tōkyōto-ritsu kōen ( 東京 都 立 公園 , about "prefecture-operated parks Tokyo" English Tokyo Metropolitan Garden ) and are subordinate to the building authority ( kensetsu-kyoku ) of the Tokyo prefecture. The property used to belong to the Iwasaki family, the founders of Mitsubishi . The name Kyū-Iwasaki-tei means "former Iwasaki residence".
history
During the Edo period, the property belonged to the Sakakibara family, who belong to the Echigo Takada clan. The family's Edo residence stood on the estate. The property passed to the Makino family at the beginning of the Meiji period . In 1896 Iwasaki Hisaya, son of Mitsubishi founder Iwasaki Yatarō , bought the site. He had been president of the company for three years at this point. The property became the official residence of the Iwasaki family.
Hisaya commissioned the British architect Josiah Conder. The design envisaged a two-storey main house in the western style, behind it a building in the Japanese style, a billiard house in the Swiss style and over 20 other smaller buildings. At 49,500 square meters, the property was three times the area it is today.
After the Second World War , the residence was confiscated by the commander-in-chief for the Allied powers . Until 1970, the site and buildings were part of the Supreme Court of Japan , which used it as a research and educational institution.
All but the three buildings already mentioned were demolished and the area was reduced to its current size. The demolition was carried out both by the American occupation forces and by the Japanese judicial authorities.
In 1961 the main building received the status of an important Japanese cultural asset and has been under protection ever since. The status was extended to the entire site in 1999. Since 2001, the building has been under the administration of Tokyo Prefecture.
Structure of the plant
There are three buildings on the 17,000 square meter site:
- the main house in western style,
- a Japanese style building adjoining the main house,
- a Swiss style billiard house.
The western-style main house has two floors and a basement. The design of this wooden building is based on the Jacobean Style from 17th century England , a late version of the Tudor style . Islamic elements from the Renaissance were added to the style . On the south side of the building there is a veranda on both floors. It has an ionic column arrangement known from Pennsylvania country houses . The reason for this style element was certainly that Iwasaki Hisaya had graduated from the University of Pennsylvania shortly before construction .
The main building was primarily used for the reception and accommodation of foreign guests. On the ground floor, next to the entrance hall, there is a large dining room with kitchen as well as a study and guest room. On the second floor there were further guest rooms and a conference room.
The Japanese-style building is directly connected to the main building and is virtually integrated into it. After its completion, it was almost the same size as the main house with 1,815 square meters of living space. The building was managed by the carpenter Ōkawa Kijūrō, who at the time built many residences for the upper class. The building follows the design of the Shoin style. Right behind the entrance is a large tatami room where guests were received. The painted screens and sliding doors ( Fusuma ) were made by the artist Hashimoto Gahō (1835–1908), who was very respected at the time of construction. The living quarters were behind the welcome room and were separated: To the north the room of Hisaya and his wife; in the south the children's rooms. Also on the north side of the house were the employees' rooms, as well as the kitchen and utility rooms.
The billiard house takes on the design of a Swiss chalet , a style rarely seen in Japan. The building was made entirely of wood, the walls are made of long wooden beams. The overhanging eaves shows Gothic decorations. The billiard house is connected to the main house underground.
The reduced area is now little more than a lawn. Few elements of the original garden from the Edo period have survived; this includes some stone lanterns and a stone hand basin.
Location and accessibility
The Kyū-Iwasaki-tei Teien is located in the Taitō district. The entrance is across from the southwest corner of the Ueno Park pond in a street parallel to Shinobazu Dōri. The nearest subway station is Yushima (C13) on the Chiyoda Line .
Web links
Coordinates: 35 ° 42 ′ 34 ″ N , 139 ° 46 ′ 3 ″ E