Count Nogi’s former house at Nogizaka

The Count Nogi’s former house in Nogizaka was built in 1902 for the Count Maresuke Nogi, an eminent general of the Imperial Japanese Army. Located in Minato ku, on gaien Higashi Street, a short walk from Tokyo Midtown, it has been designated an important Cultural asset by the Minato-ku.

Count Nogi, son of a samurai, after a distinguished military career, became the head of Peers school, and became the mentor and big influence for the future emperor Showa. In 1992 he and his wife committed suicide at the Nogizaka house, after the emperor Meiji death, in accordance to the samurai code. After his death, Nogi became a symbol of loyalty and sacrifice.

The statue outside the house recreates the story of general Nogi and the boy selling tujiuranai (fortune cookies). In 1891 Nogi, then a General, visited Kanazawa and run by chance into Seisaburo Imakoshi, an 8 year boy selling tujiuranai, to help support his family, after hearing the boy story, General Nogi commented “Admirable for a small boy, don’t forget this motivation and become a respectable adult” and gave the boy a large amount of money. The boy never forgot the General kindness; continued working hard and in 1965, it was named a living national treasure as a gold leaf Artisan.

The house modeled after a house of the French army that Nogi saw whilst studying in Germany. Built of wood of austere design, with a semi underground concrete structure skillfully using the slope.

The stables built next to the house provide a glimpse of the count great love of horses.

View ex-house of Count Nogi in a larger map

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Kyu Asakura House a period house in Dainkayama

A short walk from Dainkayama station and a few meters from a busy intersection on the Kyu Yamate Street, the kyu Asakura house is hard to find as is concealed behind a small shopping center. The house is so difficult to find that even though I lived just two blocks from the house for more than five years I knew of its existence only recently.




The Kyu Asakura house house was built in sarugakucho, Shibuya city in 1919 by Torajiro Asakura, who served as Chairman of the Tokyo prefectural Assembly, and the Assembly of the city of Shibuya, taking advantage of the slopes of South east sarugakucho. the house was designated an important cultural property on 2004.




The house consist on several structures. The main structure at the north, a storage at the west, a garage and the gardens, the main building is a two-story wooden, tile roofing structure magnificently preserved. The first floor was used as a place for daily life for the family and employees, and the second floor as office and for meetings by Mr. Asakura.




The house gardens are a valuable remain of the Japanese house gardens of the period. With three gardens: A front one at the front part of the mansion. An internal with a small pond and a stone lantern, and the main one overlooking the Fuji Mountain and the Meguro River at the south of the premises, following a cliff line in the design of its paths, , with stone lanterns, landscape rocks, and small waterfall characteristics of the period.




Representative of the architecture of the Taisho period, and the beauty of the Japanese house gardens, the house offers an extraordinarily opportunity to appreciate the period lifestyle.


View Kyu Asakura House in a larger map


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Okage Yokocho in Naiku Ise shrine

An added bonus to visiting Ise jingo naiku is that a walk into the village Okage Yokocho always follows it. The village buildings are constructed and kept to reproduce the ambient of early Meiji period.



The village originally built by the “Akafuku” confectionary company in gratitude to the Ise shrine. Most of visitors to Okage yokocho normally will include a visit to one of the store to taste the famous mochi (Japanese rice cakes) with green tea.




Although some places are only a façade (the bank and post office), most of the places are real buildings built the traditional way. I was pleasantly surprised when I used the back exit, to find the beautiful gardens hidden at the back of some stores. Visitors in a hurry will surely miss these hidden gems (I did in my previous visit).





Although the village is small, I will end up visiting only a handful of stores, before closing time. In any case it gives me a good excuse to visit again.


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Ito Hirofumi old villa in Kanazawa

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.



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.



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.



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


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

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Edo period post station town of Senju

Nikko kaido, one of Edo five routes, was the route connecting Edo (Tokyo) with Nikko Tosho-gu. Senju (thousand Inns) was the first station of the road, now the area is part of the Adachi ward in Tokyo.



The area still marks the site of the old stores location and some old houses are still preserved.




The Hospital Nagura was a period famous chiropractic hospital and continues until now as an orthopedic hospital.


Marked outside as Tenmaya (Yokoyama house), a toilet paper wholesale store, the house it is now a private residence.


The house of the Yoshida family, 8th continuous generations of Ema manufacturing. Akiko Yoshida of this house is registered as a human cultural asset by Adachi ward.


The Senju butterfly park was made to convey the atmosphere of the Edo period post town.



Shosenji temple (also known as red gate temple), founded on 1260, used by the third Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada as a rest place when on hunting trips.



Senju post station historical petit plaza, the house used to be owned by the Yokoyama family whom moved the paper business to the new location; the house is used as a mini exhibition center of the era.



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