[Okura Shukokan (Okura Museum of Art)]

Is it just me, or does the word "Shukokan" sound very noble?

The Okura Shukokan was established by Kihachiro Okura, a businessman active from the Meiji to Taisho periods, and was the first private art museum incorporated by a foundation in Japan. Kihachiro not only made significant contributions to the development of industry and trade, but also left a lasting impact on education and charitable work. Lamenting the outflow of cultural properties and works of art overseas, he worked to protect them and promote culture. In 1917, he opened the Okura Shukokan, donating the cultural properties he had collected, along with land and buildings.

Kihachiro Okura was born in 1837 as the third son of a merchant in present-day Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture. 17 years old, he went to Edo to work for a dried bonito wholesaler, but eventually became independent and opened a dried fish store in Ueno. 1867, he opened the Okura Gun Store in Kanda, and built his wealth by supplying munitions during the Boshin War. After the Meiji Restoration, he established Okura-gumi Shokai, and in the construction business division (later Taisei Corporation), he undertook the construction of the Rokumeikan, the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo Electric Light (now Tokyo Electric Power Company), Kabuki Theater, Usui Tunnel, and other buildings. He continued to ride the currents of the times and seize business opportunities, and, due in part to the war's military demand, he earned enormous profits. He was a man who created a major zaibatsu while returning the wealth he gained from his business to educational and cultural projects. After the establishment of the Okura Shukokan, the building and part of the collection were lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake. Recently, the Okura Shukokan underwent renovations, including a basement addition, over a five-and-a-half-year period beginning in 2014, and will reopen with The Okura Tokyo in 2019.

The Okura Shukokan is a building that has a Chinese feel to it and is located between the American Embassy and the Hotel Okura. There are many embassies in this area, and it is an area where you can feel a little removed from everyday life. There is also the Reinanzaka Church where Tomokazu Miura and Momoe Yamaguchi were married a long time ago. Momoe looked so beautiful at that time! There is also a redeveloped office area that is the talk of the town, so it might be fun to take a look at some of the newer cafes. You can stroll there from Roppongi 1-chome, Kamiyacho, or Toranomon stations, and various exhibitions are held in accordance with the seasons. You may be able to feel the ambition to not only make a fortune but also leave something behind for future generations. We hope you will visit.

Okura Shukokan
https://www.shukokan.org/
Ginza Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html