Photo/Illutration The Former Residence of Theodora Ozaki in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward on Feb. 13 (Eiichiro Nakamura)

Leading cartoonists in Japan joined forces to renovate a Meiji-Era (1868-1912) Western-style house in Tokyo into a manga-themed attraction.

The building, called the Former Residence of Theodora Ozaki, will be reopened on March 1 in the Gotokuji district of the capital’s Setagaya Ward.

The house was built for Theodora Ozaki (1870-1932) by her father in 1888.

Born in London, Theodora came to Japan in 1887 and worked as an English teacher and a secretary to the wife of Britain’s envoy to Japan before leaving the country in 1895.

She returned to Japan in 1899 and translated Japanese fairytales into English, which were published in book form.

She became the second wife of Yukio Ozaki (1858-1954), a politician revered as “the father of constitutional politics” in Japan.

Theodora was committed to promoting international friendship, and she helped her husband, who became Tokyo mayor in 1903, in gifting cherry blossom trees to Washington, D.C.

A scholar of English literature who took over the building relocated it to the current location.

Kazumi Yamashita, an artist known for “Tensai Yanagisawa Kyoju no Seikatsu” (The life of genius professor Yanagisawa), learned five years ago that the “cute and elegant” building that she liked so much was on the verge of being demolished.

Yamashita founded the Former Ozaki Residence Preservation Project to raise money through a crowdfunding campaign and from other manga artists.

At a news conference on Feb. 8, Yamashita was joined by Rumiko Takahashi, Nobuyuki Fukumoto and four other manga artists who offered to help to preserve the home.

“We cartoonists want to contribute to the development of the project with the power of manga,” said Norifusa Mita, best known for “Dragon Zakura.”

The building now has a shop offering original goods, a cafe room and a gallery displaying manga illustrations and other artworks.

A special exhibition featuring original manga drawings by 38 artists will be held at the building from March 1 to 12.

Admission is 1,000 yen ($6.70).

The venue is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry: 5:30 p.m.). It is closed on Thursdays, as well as one Wednesday a month.

For inquiries, visit the official website at (https://ozakitheodora.com/).

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