Fukushima State Guest House

The former Ojima Villa of Prince Takamatsu was built in 1922 by Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu, the third son of the Taisho Emperor, for His Imperial Highness Princess Yasuko Arisugawa. Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu spent more than a year to complete the villa with a purely Japanese-style landscape, as he was concerned about Princess Yasuko’s approaching 60th birthday.

This villa, together with the Western-style Tenkyo-kaku (built in 1908), was donated to Fukushima Prefecture by Prince Takamatsu in December 1952 and became the Fukushima Prefectural Guest House. The building structure is carefully crafted and sophisticated in design, making it valuable from an architectural and cultural historical perspective. Because of its value, it was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in May 1999.

This former villa of Prince Takamatsunomiya Ojima was built in the style of an old, traditional Japanese-style house, and is a rare example of an Imperial family villa, and is one of the most unique remains of its kind in Japan. Fukushima Prefecture has opened the garden to the public in order to preserve and protect the cultural heritage while passing on its valuable value. In addition, the garden is open to the public on special occasions for limited periods to introduce its value as a national cultural asset.

History

Her Imperial Highness Princess Kikuko was the maternal grandmother of Her Imperial Highness Princess Kikuko of Prince Takamatsu Yoshihito. At the time, Tenkyo-kaku (built in 1908) already existed, but Her Imperial Highness Prince Nobuhito Takamatsu was anxious to complete a traditional Japanese-style residence for Her Imperial Highness Princess Kikuko before her return, and it took a little over a year to build. The villa had a purely Japanese atmosphere, with the natural landscape used as a garden.

Her Imperial Highness Princess consort spent the summer of 1922 in this completed villa, but died on June 29 of the following year at the age of 60. The Arisugawa family was a prestigious family of four royal families, along with the Fushimi, Kanyin, Hachijo, and Kyogoku families, which went on to become the Katsura family, but its history, founded in the early Edo period, came to an end here.

In December 1952, the former Takamatsunomiya Ojima Villa was donated to Fukushima Prefecture by His Imperial Highness Prince Takamatsu. Since then, it has been deeply involved in the history of the Imperial Family, welcoming many members of the Imperial Family, including Emperor Showa and His Imperial Highness the Emperor, along with Tenjyo-kaku, as the Fukushima Prefecture Guest House. It was designated as a National Important Cultural Property on May 13, 1999, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022.

Exterior View

The Fukushima Prefectural Guest House is a precious remnant with a purely Japanese atmosphere, using natural stone for the foundation and the surrounding landscape and topography as a garden. The exterior of the wooden one-story villa gives the impression of calm and modesty. The original roof was shingled with thin layers of shingles, but now it is covered with copper shingles. Fukushima Prefecture opens the garden to the public and holds special openings for a limited time to publicize its value and charm.

The Garden

Surrounded by a healthy natural forest of evergreen and broad-leaved trees, the garden of the Fukushima State Guest House is open to the public from May to October and offers a different landscape each season, including clusters of hime-shaga (Japanese cypress) and hydrangea, day lilies in summer, deep green of trees, and beautiful autumn leaves of broad-leaved trees in fall. The garden and the residences of the upper class aristocrats and warriors are in harmony, creating a beautiful view that resembles a painting.