William Merrell Vories
Encyclopedia
William Merrell Vories or Hitotsuyanagi Mereru (一柳米来留,ひとつやなぎ めれる) was an educator, architect
, missionary
and entrepreneur
born in the United States
who worked mainly in Shiga prefecture
in Japan
.
in 1880, graduated from Colorado College
in 1904. At first he hoped to be an architect, though he came to Japan in 1905 as an English language
teacher with an intention to engage in Christian missionary work among the Japanese. While working as a teacher in Omi Hachiman
, Shiga prefecture
, he was asked to inspect the construction of Kyoto
YMCA
office building in 1908, and thus started an architectural design firm (later called "W.M.Vories & Company Architects Ichiryusha").
Through YMCA activities in Japan he became acquainted with many American and Japanese people and received numerous commissions to design houses, churches, schools, hospitals, and YMCA facilities.
In 1917, Vories married the daughter of viscount
Suenori Hitotsuyanagi, , and became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1941, taking his wife's family name of Hitotsuyanagi.
In 1918, he founded the Omi Mission, and devoted his efforts to Christian missionary work and education. However, he was also an entrepreneur, and established Omi Sales Company in 1920, to promote an ointment named Mentholatum
to earn funds to support his missionary work. The company was renamed in 1934.
Vories also loved music, making carol
s and is credited with introducing the Hammond Organ
into Japan.
He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
, 3rd class by the Japanese government. His house in Omi Hachiman is now the "Vories Commemorative Museum".
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
born in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who worked mainly in Shiga prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
in 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...
.
Biography
Vories was born in Leavenworth, KansasLeavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
in 1880, graduated from Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
in 1904. At first he hoped to be an architect, though he came to Japan in 1905 as an English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
teacher with an intention to engage in Christian missionary work among the Japanese. While working as a teacher in Omi Hachiman
Omihachiman, Shiga
is a city in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on March 31, 1954. In the quinquennial census of 2010, it had a population of 81,730...
, Shiga prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
, he was asked to inspect the construction of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
office building in 1908, and thus started an architectural design firm (later called "W.M.Vories & Company Architects Ichiryusha").
Through YMCA activities in Japan he became acquainted with many American and Japanese people and received numerous commissions to design houses, churches, schools, hospitals, and YMCA facilities.
In 1917, Vories married the daughter of viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
Suenori Hitotsuyanagi, , and became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1941, taking his wife's family name of Hitotsuyanagi.
In 1918, he founded the Omi Mission, and devoted his efforts to Christian missionary work and education. However, he was also an entrepreneur, and established Omi Sales Company in 1920, to promote an ointment named Mentholatum
Mentholatum
The Mentholatum Company, Inc., founded in 1889 by Albert Alexander Hyde, is a maker of non-prescription health care products. It was bought out by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., a Japanese health care company, in 1988...
to earn funds to support his missionary work. The company was renamed in 1934.
Vories also loved music, making carol
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
s and is credited with introducing the Hammond Organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
into Japan.
He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, 3rd class by the Japanese government. His house in Omi Hachiman is now the "Vories Commemorative Museum".
Books
- "ヴォーリズの建築―ミッション・ユートピアと都市の華" 山形 政昭 1989 ISBN 4422501232
- "ヴォーリズの西洋館―日本近代住宅の先駆" 山形 政昭 2002 ISBN 4473018903
- "ウィリアム・メレル・ヴォーリズ―写真集 日本人を越えたニホン人" 山田プランニング 1998 ISBN 4939022994
- "ヴォーリズ建築の100年―恵みの居場所をつくる" 2008 ISBN 4422501240
- "ヴォーリズ評伝―日本で隣人愛を実践したアメリカ人" 奥村直彦 2005 ISBN 4880083321
- "青い目の近江商人メレル・ヴォーリズ―創業者精神「信仰と商売の両立の実践」を受け継いで" 岩原 侑 1997 ISBN 4887370458
- "青い目の近江商人ヴォーリズ外伝―「信仰と事業の両立」を果たした師ゆかりの地を歩いて" 岩原 侑 2002 ISBN 483553879X
External links
- "W.M.Vories & Company Architects Ichiryusha"s official site
- Vories Commemorative Museum home page
- William Merrell Vories, Omihachiman Tourism Association