Former Tashiro Family Western-style House

In detail

The Seiyōkan (Western-style house) was built in 1876 by Tashiro Sukesaku (d. 1890) to host visiting foreign buyers of Arita ware. The house went through a number of renovations over the decades. In 2018, it was restored to its original appearance and designated a National Important Cultural Property.

The house blends Japanese and Western architectural elements. The curved staircase in the foyer, the windowpanes, door frames, and stained glass are all original. The stair handrail was made with the same techniques used to carve transoms at Japanese temples, and the house has sliding doors and tatami floors. The 2018 renovation work revealed the paper patterns that had covered the sliding doors. The wallpaper was recreated by inking the original woodcut block of the family crest and stamping it on to traditional washi paper. Local elementary students helped with the restoration by rebuilding some of the walls using traditional construction methods.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the roof of the house was shortened, and the veranda removed in order to widen the road. For the restoration, the entire building was moved back from the road so the roof and veranda could be completely restored.

In the main room on the second floor are two chandeliers, both attached to the ceiling through a decorative plate made of Arita ware. Both plates were made in the Meiji era (1603–1868) and are on loan from the Arita Ceramic Museum. The plates were intended to protect the ceiling from the flames of the candles in the chandeliers. The curtains bear the patterns of nineteenth-century British textile designer William Morris (1834–1896).