Ueno Station Walk - No.5 - A too beautiful residence. Retro architecture of the Meiji period (Former Iwasaki Residence Garden)

  • Tokyo
  • Sightseeing
Former Iwasaki Residence Garden, Western-style building (north side)
The former Iwasaki Residence Garden stands near Shinobazu Pond. It was built in the Meiji era as the main residence of Hisaya Iwasaki, the third president of Mitsubishi Zaibatsu. It is surprising that such a magnificent building was his home.
It is even more surprising to learn that at that time, there were as many as 20 buildings lined up on a site of about 15,000 tsubo, about three times the size of the current site. Only three buildings remain: the Western-style building, the billiard room, and the Japanese-style hall. These are designated as National Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
Former Iwasaki Residence Garden, Western-style building (north side)

Let us take you inside the building!

Western-style building

The Western-style building was designed by Josiah Conder, famous for his work on the Rokumeikan, and is based on the 17th century English Jacobean style, with a mixture of English Renaissance and Islamic designs. The Western-style building seems to have been used mainly for social gatherings.
Western-style building (1st floor) / Visitors must take off their shoes to enter the building. Don't forget to wear socks.
The first floor of the Western-style building / Grand staircase. The spiral staircase leading to the basement is off-limits. See later in the article to see where it leads.
Western-style building, 2nd floor / The veranda overlooks the lawn garden.
Second floor of the Western-style building: a guest room (front) and a ladies' room (back) with a beautiful pale pink color. The luxurious wallpaper of the guest room, gold karakawashi, is a sight to behold.

Japanese-style building

The first floor of the Western-style building leads to the Japanese-style building. At the time of its completion, the building had a floor area of 550 tsubo (approximately 1,860 m2), far exceeding the size of the Western-style building, but today there is only one wing, a large hall based on the shoin-style building. Each part of the building is made of precious timber, which is hard to find today.
This Japanese-style house seems to have been a place for the daily life of the Iwasaki family.
Japanese-style building: A Japanese garden surrounds the building, where you can see a water fountain and garden stones. The modern garden lawn spreads beyond the building...a beautiful collaboration of Japanese and Western styles!
Japanese-style building: The fusuma (sliding door) has a "rhombus" design! You can also see the "rhombus" design in various other places, so please look for it.

Sweet shop and souvenir shop

The Japanese-style house also has a sweet shop where visitors can enjoy green powdered tea and anmitsu (sweet bean paste). Souvenirs such as postcards and bookmarks made of "gold-embossed leather paper," which was used as wallpaper in the Western-style building, are also available for purchase.

Billiard Room

This chess hall was also designed by Josiah Conder. It is located a short distance away from the Western-style building. （The chess room is located a short distance away from the Western-style building (visitors must change into shoes when moving from the Japanese-style building to the chess room). In fact, the chess room is connected to the Western-style building I mentioned earlier by an underground passageway. The interior of the room is covered with gold-embossed wallpaper, which makes it all the more interesting to take a peek inside.
Billiards was considered a gentleman's game in those days.
The chess room / The design of the building is reminiscent of American wooden Gothic style, with schoolhouse walls, carved columns, and a large roof with deeply pitched eaves. The building is not accessible.

Koiwai Farm associated with the Iwasaki Family

Suddenly, do you know the origin of the name of Koiwai Farm in Iwate Prefecture? Actually, "Koiwai" is not the name of a place, but is related to the founder of the company. Koiwai Farms was established in 1894 by Yoshimasa Ono (Vice President of Japan Railway Company) and Yanosuke Iwasaki (President of Mitsubishi Corporation. (the younger brother of Mitsubishi founder Yataro Iwasaki), and Masaru Inoue (Commissioner of the Railroad Agency). The name "Koiwai" was taken from the surnames of each of these three founders. The farm was later taken over by Hisaya Iwasaki, who contributed to the development of the farming and ranching industry in modern Japan. Hisaya used to visit Koiwai Farm every summer with his family for a summer retreat. If you visit Iwate Prefecture, why not stop by?
(Photo taken June 7, 2022)
There were hydrangeas blooming on the hillside after entering the farm from the main gate. Although it is usually cloudy or rainy, it is nice to relax and enjoy the exotic atmosphere in an indoor facility. The former Iwasaki Residence Garden is a photogenic spot that is also a 12-minute walk from Ueno Station. Please note that taking pictures inside the building is only allowed on weekdays.
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