Ishōan, Historic tea house in Sumiyoshi Higashimachi, Japan.
Ishōan is a two-story wooden house in Sumiyoshi Higashimachi, Japan, with several tatami rooms, sliding doors, and a traditional Japanese garden with pine trees. The interior rooms open toward the garden at several points, so the house and its outdoor space feel connected.
The house was built in 1929 following designs by master Hoan Takahashi, who drew on his own architectural work of that period. His way of thinking about living spaces was noticed by other professionals and shaped ideas about residential design during those years.
The name of the house comes from its builder, Hoan Takahashi, who expressed his personal approach to craft through the choice of materials and the way rooms are arranged. Walking through today, visitors can see how each sliding door and tatami mat was chosen to work together as a whole.
The house opens only on certain days, so it is worth checking opening times before you go. It also helps to look up the exact location in advance, as the address in Sumiyoshi Higashimachi can be hard to find without local knowledge.
On the upper floor, three rooms were originally the private chambers of three sisters, and their windows looked out toward the sea. This personal use of the space is still noticeable today in the way the rooms are sized and positioned relative to each other.
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