Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ito Hirofumi old villa in Kanazawa

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After years of restoration, the old villa of the first Prime Minister of Japan Hirofumi Ito finally reopened to the public late last year. The renovated house provides a glimpse on the previous prime minister life and to the Meiji era houses.

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The Prime Minister Ito built the house on 1898 in Kanazawa, a popular area for villas in the Meiji period, the place was visited by the emperor Taisho, crown prince at the time, and the crown prince of Korea.

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The house with thatched roofs, tatami floors and sliding doors with scenic view to the beach has been designated as an important cultural property by the city of Yokohama.

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The house layout has been changed after the renovation, and is now divided into three areas, facilities, visitors, and study/bedroom.

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There is no entrance fee, so there is no excuse not to visit the villa when in the area.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Wouldn't say no to a house like that... if only.

islandjp said...

as long as you don't have to pay for repairing the roof, I heard is quite expensive.