Kyu Asakura House, Traditional mansion in Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Japan
Kyu Asakura House is a two-story wooden residence in Shibuya with interconnected rooms featuring tatami mat flooring, sliding doors, and a tiled roof structure. The layout feels organic and surprisingly intricate, with spaces flowing into one another rather than standing separately.
The residence was built in 1919 for Torajiro Asakura, an influential Tokyo politician. It survived the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and the bombing destruction of World War II, proving the strength of its construction.
The residence reflects how Tokyo's upper-middle class lived during the 1920s, with rooms that flow into each other and open toward the garden. Walking through shows how daily life blended traditional Japanese customs with the emerging modern lifestyle of that era.
Visitors must remove shoes before entering, which gives an authentic sense of how the house was actually lived in. The rooms are low-ceilinged and compact, requiring you to move carefully and mindfully through the spaces.
The garden incorporates a natural cliff formation, creating different elevation levels that feel like a miniature landscape. Stone lanterns and seasonal plantings throughout make it feel like a compressed natural scene with subtle depth.
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