Photo/Illutration A Western-style room in the property that was owned by industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi (Takahiro Takizawa)

A former residence of industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi, known as the father of Japanese capitalism, is now standing in Tokyo again after previously being moved to Aomori Prefecture in northern Honshu.

Shibusawa, who died in 1931 aged 91, will become the new face of the 10,000-yen ($66) bill in July.

The magnificent building was shown to the media on March 5.

The property accommodated four generations of the Shibusawa family, from Shibusawa himself to a great-grandchild of his.

It was constructed in 1878 in today’s Eitai district of Koto Ward by Shimizu Kisuke (1815-1881), the second head of what currently is general contractor Shimizu Corp.

The building was relocated in 1908 to what is now the capital’s Mita district of Minato Ward and put under state ownership in 1947.

The property has since served as the finance minister’s official residence and the Mita Conference Hall.

After the home was sold in 1991 to a former secretary to the Shibusawa family, it was moved to Rokunohe in Aomori Prefecture.

Three decades later, the property was purchased by Shimizu and moved back to Tokyo.

Boasting a design with minimal flashy ornaments, the two-story wooden building consists of a Japanese-style room as well as a Western-style space furnished with a guest room and a study.

The property has a total floor space of 1,204 square meters and is designated as a tangible cultural asset by Koto Ward.

The Shibusawa residence sits within the Smart Innovation Ecosystem Novare park operated by Shimizu.

Shimizu said only selected officials will be allowed to tour the mansion for the time being, but that it is considering accepting visitors from the general public in the future.

“We will be moving toward disclosing and making full use of it as a cultural property through cooperation with Koto Ward and other means,” said a Shimizu representative.

Also housed in Novare is a history museum featuring 24 models of buildings associated with Shimizu, including faithful reproductions of Daiichi Kokuritsu Ginko (First National Bank in Japan) and Yoyogi National Stadium.

Another attraction there is a color woodblock print showing buildings specially designed from the late Edo Period (1603-1867) through the Meiji Era (1868-1912) to resemble Western-style architecture.

The items on display are intended to retrace the history of Japan’s construction industry.

(This article was compiled from reports by Takahiro Takizawa and Daisuke Hirabayashi.)

PHOTO CAPTIONS

(1) The former residence of Shibusawa Eiichi at the site of the Smart Innovation Ecosystem Novare park in Tokyo (Daisuke Hirabayashi)

(2) A Western-style room in the property that was owned by industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi (Takahiro Takizawa)

(3) A stairway at the property embodies a harmonious fusion of Western and Japanese cultures. Photo taken March 5 in Tokyo’s Koto Ward (Takahiro Takizawa)

(4) A guest room boasts a characteristic pattern on the ceiling that corresponds to the tatami mats below. (Takahiro Takizawa)

(5) The property that was relocated to Tokyo’s Koto Ward (Takahiro Takizawa)

6) A history museum in Tokyo’s Koto Ward exhibits models of buildings designed by Shimizu Corp. Photo taken March 5 (Daisuke Hirabayashi)

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