Showacho Japanese Houses, Japanese residential buildings in Da'an District, Taipei, Taiwan.
Showacho is a cluster of about 50 traditional wooden houses in Taipei's Da'an District featuring characteristic Japanese residential elements such as sliding doors, tatami mat floors, and timber frame construction. The buildings are arranged tightly together, reflecting the compact layout typical of Japanese residential communities from that era.
The houses were built between 1895 and 1945 during Japan's colonial rule and initially housed Japanese officials and educators. After World War II, the complex was taken over by National Taiwan University and converted into student dormitories, a function it continues to serve.
These houses demonstrate how Japanese architectural traditions blended with Taiwanese daily life after World War II, when local residents and mainland Chinese arrivals made them their homes. The design remained respectful of the original style even as new inhabitants adapted the spaces to their own needs.
The houses currently serve as student housing and are not fully open to the public, though the exterior and some areas can be viewed from outside. It's worth checking in advance about any organized tours or special visiting hours that may be available.
The complex represents one of the largest surviving groups of Japanese colonial-era wooden residential structures in Taiwan. What makes it noteworthy is that these buildings have remained continuously inhabited over decades while preserving their original wooden framework largely intact.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
