Mansion, French Garden, Tea House
Welcome back!
We are still in Takuma Valley, Kamakura, Japan. In my last blog, we visited the Zen temple of Hokokuji, and talked about The Sound of Mountain by Kawabata. This time, we’ll walk a little further up the street…
The Former Residence of Marquis Kacho
As you pass Hokokuji, you’ll see a big western-style mansion on the left. This magnificent house was built for Marquis Hironobu Kacho in 1929. It is one of the largest Western-style prewar buildings in Kanagawa Prefecture, with two halls, two balconies, seven hard-wood floor rooms, two tatami rooms, two sunrooms, and office, dining room, and kitchen spread over 3 stories!
The building is owned by Kamakura city and is a designated historic site, one of many buildings built between the late 1800s to the early 1900s in Kamakura when it was being promoted as a resort area. The grounds are currently closed due to the pandemic, but they are usually open daily for visitors who wander up from Hokokuji Temple to stroll through the French-style rose garden. (It says it will re-open on June 3rd, 2020.)
It is also one of a popular venue for shooting TV dramas. I often see trucks parked at the entrance early in the morning or late at night, and hear the faint sounds of directors giving cues under bright studio lights. It’s a perfect venue for mystery stories — a big mansion, filled with rich people and many rooms, just like a game of Clue. You’ll know what I mean when you visit.
After the Marquis Kacho and his wife lived in the house for a few years, it has passed on to several owners. One of the first was a U.S. naval officer who lived there with his family during the occupation following the war. Some of the older residents in the valley remember playing with the American kids who had bunk beds up in the attic! If there were still kids living there today, it’d be the perfect place to ride out self-quarantine.
The French-Style Garden and Moss
The garden in front of the mansion is French Style, the garden based on symmetry as you see in the Gardens of Versailles. You can enjoy seasonal flowers and trees including roses and hydrangeas. Hopefully, we can all enjoy them next year!
But I would like to point out the beautiful carpet of moss just to the side of the gate as well. The fresh, green moss is beautiful especially this time of the year. Just after the cherry blossoms, it is moss season. Next time you visit Kamakura in the spring, please look down toward the ground after the cherry blossom season has gone and admire the beautiful moss. It’s the perfect frame for a house like this.
The humidity of the valley is perfect for moss’s ecosystem. The bad news is that it is also a great environment for mold as well. Shoes, jackets, and bags are quickly covered with mold if I forget to replace the desiccants frequently. We have 2 big dehumidifiers in the house and it’s still a constant battle! I wish things were covered by moss instead of mold. For some reason, moss makes things more beautiful, but mold does not.
Nevertheless, I like this season the best — with the mingling scents of fresh green and wet soil.
Humidity was one of the many things I missed while living abroad. It’s funny but when I feel the heavy humid air upon arriving at Narita Airport, I know I am back home. The dry, crisp air of New York was the total opposite of what I was used to. During the winter in NYC, I used to put a big pot of water over the heater to make my room humid, so much that one of my friends said I was “living in a rain forest!” For me, humidity meant home.
Back to the story…
Japanese Tea House, Muian
It makes sense for a western-style mansion to have a French-style garden…but there is also a Japanese tea house on the grounds! A later resident of the Kacho Residence was named Mr. Matsuzaki (excitingly, the same last name as mine, but not related). He relocated a tea house called “Muian” to the corner of the site from Tokyo in the early 1970s.
The tea house, which was also constructed around the same time as Kachonomiya, has an unusual octagon batten ceiling using several kinds of timbers placed in a beautiful radial pattern.
I wonder what kind of person was the first owner of the tea house — maybe someone who liked to entertain many guests? Or a tea enthusiast? Or just someone who liked to show off? Hmm…
The tea ceremony was an important part of socializing among the wealthy back then. Gorgeous carvings above the gate feature two lions on each side and a scene in the middle depicting a famous story of Kokaji, The Swordsmith, about a fox who helps a swordsmith forge a sword for the Emperor. This story was adapted for a famous Noh play.
Multi-Cultural Venue
A Western-style mansion, French-style garden, and Japanese-style tea house — what a combination! I love the beautiful blend of Western and Japanese style architecture in one site. It is closed now, but hopefully, it will open soon again in time for the Fall open house (usually in October.) If the situation gets any better, and if you happen to visit Kamakura, please check the dates of the open house (the Spring open house is in April) where freshly brewed coffee is served by local volunteers, including my husband and daughter.
Hokokuji, and the Former Residence of Marquis Kacho, are must-stop sites in Takuma valley. But these are just half of the valley’s charms. In the next article, I will introduce the natural beauty of this valley where I live.
See you then!
Sending love from Kamakura.
Kamakura Mind Blog
Information and Map
photo credit: Alexander O. Smith
