Tenkyōkaku, Renaissance villa in Inawashiro, Japan.
Tenkyōkaku is a three-story villa in Inawashiro featuring Renaissance Revival design and symmetrical facade patterns. The building combines European architectural principles with detailed exterior craftsmanship visible from its entrance to roofline.
Prince Arisugawa Takehito designed this building in 1908 when Japan was actively incorporating Western styles into its architecture. The design marks a period when European influence was deliberately studied and combined with local building traditions.
The villa reflects how Japanese architects of that era understood and adapted European design traditions. Walking through its rooms, you see furnishings and details that reveal this conversation between two different building worlds.
Visitors can explore this villa best during a guided tour to understand the architectural details and how each room functions. Wear comfortable shoes as you will move through several levels of the building and view its various spaces.
The building features large windows deliberately positioned to frame views of Lake Inawashiro and Mount Bandai from inside. These sight lines connect the interior with the surrounding landscape in a way that reflects both European and Japanese design thinking.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
