Former Muto Villa, Kobe, Heritage house in Tarumi-ku, Japan
The Former Muto Villa is a residential house in Tarumi-ku built in Colonial Revival style, blending Japanese construction techniques with Western architectural features. The interior layout shows traditional Japanese room configurations alongside Western elements such as large windows and European materials.
The architect Yoshikuni Ōkuma designed this residence in 1907, during a period when Japan was integrating Western design principles into its domestic buildings. Its creation occurred at a time when the country's modernization was encouraging foreign influences across all areas of design.
The house shows how Japanese upper-class residents blended Eastern and Western living styles in their home layout and furnishings. You can see this fusion reflected in the way rooms are organized and decorated, revealing how open-minded the wealthy were to global influences at that time.
The property is open to visitors on weekdays and weekends with informational displays explaining the architecture in multiple languages. The paths indoors are easy to walk and information about the features is clearly posted throughout.
The building offers views of Osaka Bay from its location and shows how important the view was to the original owners. The sightline to the bay was deliberately considered when planning the house's placement and room orientation.
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