Hayama Imperial Villa
Encyclopedia
, located in the town of Hayama
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
is a residence owned by the Japanese Imperial Family, and used on infrequent intervals as an informal winter retreat.
, located in the city of Odawara
was built in 1901 by Emperor Meiji
, on the site of Odawara Castle
. It was abolished in 1930, and the site was given back to the city for the reconstruction of the castle., located in Kamakura
was built by Emperor Meiji in 1899 as a summer residence for his 8th daughter, Princess Fumi-no-miya Nobuko (later married to Prince Asaka Yasuhiko) and 9th daughter, Princess Yasunomiya Toshiko (later married to Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko). It was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake
, and the site was turned over to the Kamakura city government in 1931, and is now the location of a school., located in Hakone
was built by Emperor Meiji in 1895, and was a favorite residence of Prince Takamatsu Nobuhito
, the younger brother of Emperor Hirohito. It is now an annex of the Hakone Fujiya Hotel
.
The Hayama Imperial Villa was acquired by the Imperial Household Agency
in 1894. It is located on the east bank of Sagami Bay
in central Miura Peninsula
, just south of Kamakura. The villa was a favorite of Emperor Taishō
and he often visited to convalesce from his illnesses and to escape from the stresses of his official duties in Tokyo. Emperor Taishō died at the Hayama Imperial Villa in December 1926. The villa was subsequently used by Emperor Shōwa, who also built a marine biology
laboratory on its grounds. Research from the laboratory has resulted in a number of technical monographs. The Imperial Family traditionally uses the Hayama residence in February-March, the season when few tourists visit the area.
The villa was burned down in 1971 in an act of arson
and was rebuilt as a one-story building of western architectural design. A portion of the grounds was donated to the town of Hayama at that time, and is now the Hayama Shiosai Park, with a traditional Japanese garden
and teahouse
, and a small museum displaying part of Emperor Hirohito’s collection of marine specimens from Sagami Bay.
Hayama, Kanagawa
is a town located in Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture, on central Honshū, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 32,386 and a density of 1,900 per km². The total area was 17.06 km²...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
is a residence owned by the Japanese Imperial Family, and used on infrequent intervals as an informal winter retreat.
History
The Imperial Family of Japan previously had residences in several locations within Kanagawa Prefecture:, located in the city of Odawara
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
was built in 1901 by Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
, on the site of Odawara Castle
Odawara Castle
is a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.-History:Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence was built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan stood on the approximate site of the present castle...
. It was abolished in 1930, and the site was given back to the city for the reconstruction of the castle., located in Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
was built by Emperor Meiji in 1899 as a summer residence for his 8th daughter, Princess Fumi-no-miya Nobuko (later married to Prince Asaka Yasuhiko) and 9th daughter, Princess Yasunomiya Toshiko (later married to Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko). It was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
, and the site was turned over to the Kamakura city government in 1931, and is now the location of a school., located in Hakone
Hakone, Kanagawa
is a town in Ashigarashimo District in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 13,339 and a density of 144 persons per km². The total area was 92.82 km².-Geography:...
was built by Emperor Meiji in 1895, and was a favorite residence of Prince Takamatsu Nobuhito
Prince Takamatsu
was the third son of HIM Emperor Taishō and HIM Empress Teimei and a younger brother of the HIM Emperor Shōwa . He became heir to the Takamatsu-no-miya , one of the four shinnōke or branches of the imperial family entitled to inherit the Chrysanthemum throne in default of a direct heir...
, the younger brother of Emperor Hirohito. It is now an annex of the Hakone Fujiya Hotel
Fujiya Hotel
The is a historic hotel in Miyanoshita in Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan.It was constructed in 1891, and consists of many different parts constructed in a mixture of traditional Japanese and western architecture which was popular during the Meiji period...
.
The Hayama Imperial Villa was acquired by the Imperial Household Agency
Imperial Household Agency
The is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
in 1894. It is located on the east bank of Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...
in central Miura Peninsula
Miura Peninsula
is a peninsula located in Kanagawa, Japan. It lies south of Yokohama and Tokyo and divides Tokyo Bay, to the east, from Sagami Bay, to the west. Cities and towns on the Miura Peninsula include Yokosuka, Miura, Hayama, Zushi, and Kamakura....
, just south of Kamakura. The villa was a favorite of Emperor Taishō
Emperor Taishō
The was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.The Emperor’s personal name was . According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the Emperor...
and he often visited to convalesce from his illnesses and to escape from the stresses of his official duties in Tokyo. Emperor Taishō died at the Hayama Imperial Villa in December 1926. The villa was subsequently used by Emperor Shōwa, who also built a marine biology
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
laboratory on its grounds. Research from the laboratory has resulted in a number of technical monographs. The Imperial Family traditionally uses the Hayama residence in February-March, the season when few tourists visit the area.
The villa was burned down in 1971 in an act of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and was rebuilt as a one-story building of western architectural design. A portion of the grounds was donated to the town of Hayama at that time, and is now the Hayama Shiosai Park, with a traditional Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
and teahouse
Chashitsu
In Japanese tradition, architectural spaces designed to be used for tea ceremony gatherings are known as chashitsu ....
, and a small museum displaying part of Emperor Hirohito’s collection of marine specimens from Sagami Bay.