Sassoon, Colonial Revival mansion in Kitano-chō, Japan

Sassoon is a two-storey wooden mansion completed in 1892 in Kitano-chō, built as the private residence of a Mr. Chen and later named after the Syrian-Jewish trader David Sassoon, who lived there until 1985. Its Colonial-style exterior has oil-painted clapboard walls, shuttered sash windows, a bay window and a glass-enclosed veranda, with a large garden to the south and woodcarving inside.

The building was constructed in 1892 as Kobe emerged as an international trading port. It served as a residence for foreign merchants who lived in the developing harbor and trading community.

The house is named after David Sassoon, a Syrian Jewish merchant born in 1910 who lived here until 1985 and died in 1991; the building itself dates from 1892 and was first the private home of a Mr. Chen. Its interior is noted for wood carvings and other ornamental detailing. Since it is not open to the public, the chapel and the 100-tsubo lawn garden are booked for weddings.

The house is not open to the public; its chapel and 100-tsubo lawn garden are used as a wedding venue and can be reserved. It stands at Kitano-chō 2-16-1, about 15 minutes on foot from Shin-Kōbe Station and 20 minutes from Sannomiya Station.

The house operates today as a wedding chapel where couples can hold their ceremonies in a building with a story. This conversion connects the 19th century with modern rituals and gives the place contemporary meaning.