[Kudan House]

Kudanshita, where the Nippon Budokan and Yasukuni Shrine are located, is a recommended area for a leisurely stroll, as it is not as crowded as one might expect despite having many famous spots. Kagurazaka is within walking distance if you extend your walk a little, and Jinbocho, the town of curry and secondhand bookstores, is also close by. Did you know that in a corner of Kudanshita stands a historical Western-style mansion called "Kudan House"? Originally the residence of businessman Mankichi Yamaguchi, this mansion was built in 1927 in a Spanish-influenced style by the most popular architects and designers of the time.

The Yamaguchi family was a wealthy farming family in Oguni, Kariwa District (now Ogunimachi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture), and served as the village headmen (Oshoya) who managed the region. Since the Meiji era, they have founded many businesses in oil, railways, finance, and electric power, contributing significantly to the development of Niigata Prefecture. The owner of the "Former Mankichi Yamaguchi Residence," the fifth-generation Mankichi, was born in 1897. After experiencing the Great Kanto Earthquake, he was deeply impressed by Tachu Naito, known as the "Father of Earthquake-Resistant Construction," and adopted Naito's structural design of wall-type reinforced concrete. As a result, while many wooden buildings were destroyed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid of 1945, Kudan House escaped the disaster and remains almost exactly as it was when it was first built.

Mankichi also possessed excellent artistic sensitivity and was deeply committed not only to the building itself but also to the furniture and decorative fittings; the cost of the decorations was reportedly almost equal to the construction cost of the building. Many of these decorations still remain inside and outside the building today, but during the war, they were "evacuated" to Nagaoka to avoid the air raids. However, Nagaoka was also subjected to air raids, and there were various dramas, such as the items being burned along with the railway freight cars during transport. After the end of the war, like many other valuable buildings, it was requisitioned by the GHQ. After its return, it was left in the hands of others for nearly 20 years before being used again as a residence by the family of Mankichi Yamaguchi's son from 1963. It is a miraculous building that has survived 90 years of turbulent times without being demolished, remaining in almost its original form despite its location in the heart of Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

Inside the residence, the earthquake resistance is remarkable, with walls reaching a thickness of 8 sun (approx. 24 cm). In addition to its charming appearance with arches and Spanish tiles, the mansion is an open residence where one can feel the four seasons, featuring numerous semi-outdoor spaces such as a Japanese-style room for guests, a living room designed as a dance hall, a screen porch facing the garden, a veranda on the second floor, and a rooftop on the third floor. The underground space, where a boiler technician lived and worked, was also surprisingly spacious.

Usually, it is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan that is closed to the public, but it can be visited during exhibitions and events. You can enjoy a space where historical architecture, art, and new power and sensitivity merge, so please check it out. Currently, "MARTIN MARGIELA AT KUDAN HOUSE" seems to be held there. How about including it in your walking route during this pleasant May season?

Kudan House (Mankichi Yamaguchi Residence)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WhnMSUwuLru3SGB27
Ginza Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/ginza.html

References
https://kudan.house/
https://martinmargielaatkudanhouse.jp/