The Kyū Asakura House (‘kyū’ meaning ‘old’), standing in the heart of buzzing Shibuya and only two minutes’ walk from Daikanyama T-site, is an anomaly. The more you learn about it, the more miraculous its very existence becomes. Before visiting this unlikely oasis in the heart of Tokyo’s hottest district, read on to find out why this property is so different from many of Japan’s other heritage homes.
Kyū Asakura House was built in 1919 by Asakura Torajirо̄, a country boy from Aichi prefecture who arrived in Tokyo in his mid-teens, determined to find his fortune. Said fortune was found in the timber industry, and he quickly amassed considerable wealth and influence. Despite this, he lacked a ‘respectable’ family name – a matter of considerable importance in Japan’s dynastically driven social structures. In his twenties, ‘nameless’ Torajirо̄ was formally adopted by Asakura Tokujirо̄, a wealthy rice merchant. It’s likely that our country boy’s first name, Torajirо̄, was also given to him along with the family name of Asakura. The elder Asakura had lost two sons, with only a daughter remaining, whom the younger Asakura then married. Fortunes and family names in order, young Torajirо̄ built a home worthy of his status, complete with living quarters and separate rooms for hosting both corporate and political meetings.
Only four years after Asakura had completed his home, Tokyo was left in near-ruin by the great Kanto earthquake of 1923. The quake was immediately followed by multiple devastating fires, engulfing and incinerating entire neighbourhoods in hours. It’s a miracle that the Asakura residence survived the destruction that swept through Tokyo – the first of three incredible escapes.
Between 1942 and 1945, Tokyo was subjected to multiple bombing raids by American military forces. These attacks reached their peak on the 9th and 10th of March in 1945, obliterating both property and human life on an unimaginable scale. Despite all that stood around it being burned to ash, the Asakura residence once again survived.
Asakura House’s final act of resistance, however, was a somewhat gentler affair. Many buildings throughout history have withstood fires, earthquakes and bombs; but the ‘march of progress’ can lay waste to all. Tokyo is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the world. The city’s developers seemingly have little time for the sentimental protection of old properties, many of which sit on (and in the way of) multimillion-dollar development opportunities. However, for architect Maki Fumihiko, the Asakura residence was spared from the concrete onslaught (although much of the wider Asakura estate was redeveloped).
Entry to the entire property is a modest ¥100, and the interior is floored with tatami, making it a shoes-off situation. To protect the delicate matting, clean socks must be worn inside the property. If you’re having a sandals kind of day and have forgotten to bring any, a fresh new pair of white trainer socks can be purchased from reception for ¥100. It’s definitely worth keeping these as your ‘temple socks’ for other shoes-off locations around Japan.
Starting in the garden, stone pathways lead you on a meandering route through soft hillocks of yellow-green moss, punctuated with spectacularly large stone lanterns. Planted with red pine, white oak and Japanese maple, the garden has grown a thick canopy over the course of a century, and you’ll occasionally see arborists trimming away branches to let light fall into the garden below.
The garden also offers a multitude of views onto the house itself; a further chance to appreciate the architectural styles employed in its design. It is a fundamentally gentle construction, with warm wood exteriors and a traditional slate tile roof. It sits in perfect harmony with its surroundings, making it easy to forget that you’re walking through the heart of 21st century Tokyo, minutes from the frantic centre of Shibuya.
Japan’s Taishо̄ period represents something of a quiet exhale after the frantic Meiji period (1868 – 1912). Meiji period architecture represented an embrace of neoclassical European styles, at a time when Japan’s relationship with the west was fresh and exhilarating. The Taishо̄ period largely continued the new lineage of European styles, but a return to Japanese design within domestic spaces also flourished.
The Asakura residence was designed with a rо̄ji (teahouse-style) garden; a nod to the influence of Zen philosophy on garden design. Wide verandas are accessible through sliding doors, panelled with glass panes shaped with pre-modern technology, rendering them wavy and organic, reminiscent of the surface of a deep river.
The tatami rooms are connected to the outdoor space by wood-panelled engawa (corridors), each lined on its inner wall with paper-panelled shoji screens, which move like sliding doors to open or reconfigure rooms. Colours are organic; muted and subtle, offering a welcome contrast from the smooth facades and cold concrete of surrounding Daikanyama. From inside, the glass renders the outer world wavy and improbable, further entrenching the feeling of being in a different time and place. More than simply being enjoyable, places like the Asakura residence feel needed; safe havens from the frantic pace of modern life in Tokyo.
The peaceful ‘cedar rooms’ at the far end of the building, along with the seating space in the conference room, offer a panoramic view of the garden, which is otherworldly in its stillness. Although touted as especially beautiful in spring and autumn, the intense, effervescent greens of summer stand in vibrant contrast to the building’s dark wood exteriors.
Not only does the Asakura residence boast a beautiful outer garden; secreted away in the heart of the ground floor is an interior courtyard garden. This hidden square is home to a traditional Japanese take on a more ‘jungle’ style of planting. Along with the traditional moss, rocks and stone water basins are a plethora of cordyline palms, thick fronds of Japanese holly ferns and ostrich ferns, alongside maples and miniature bamboo. This tiny, intensely green space offers an extra layer of comfort and calm within the already-tranquil setting of the residence.
When you’ve absorbed all you can of the rustic pleasures within Asakura House, you’ll likely feel adequately recharged and ready to return to the outside world. Kyū Asakura is ideally situated, just one road away from the edge of Shibuya’s Daikanyama ‘village’ – a modern and design-led enclave full of concept stores that’ll make your wallet wince. There’s something for everyone, though, as you can enjoy the timeless combination of books and coffee at Daikanyama T-site, which houses a Starbucks and a Tsutaya bookstore. This particular branch of Tsutaya houses an exceptionally large selection of English language books, covering mainly Japan-centric topics. It also has one of the most generous selections of magazines of any store in Tokyo; even if you can’t read Japanese, the beautiful images and tactile feel of Japanese print publications put them in a league of their own.
Thus ends an afternoon of perfectly balanced opposites; abundant in considered design and never far from coffee. How very Tokyo.
Access:
From the major hub of Shibuya station, program the house address into your mapping app of choice, or follow this route. Naka-meguro station is even closer, with a walking route detailed here.
Name: Kyū Asakura Residence (旧朝倉家住宅)
Address: 29-20 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, 150-0033
Open: 10:00am to 6:00pm (until 4:30p, from November to February)
Admission: ¥100
Website: https://www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/shisetsu/bunka-shisetsu/asakura/asakura_00004.html
Post by Japan Journeys.
