Yodokō Guest House
Encyclopedia
The Yodokō Guest House was built as the summer villa for the well-to-do brewer of Sakura-Masamune sake, Tazaemon Yamamura, and is the only surviving Frank Lloyd Wright
residence in Japan. The guest house was designed in 1918, and construction was completed six years later.
Set into a hilltop in Ashiya
, overlooking the Port of Kobe
in western
Japan, the villa demonstrates Wright's genius for spatial composition: although it has four
levels, none is taller than two stories. By stepping the house into the hill, Wright took
advantage of the extraordinary views of Osaka Bay
the site offered. The exterior evokes Wright's Los Angeles textile block houses, but its decorative blocks are of Oya stone
, not concrete.
In 1947, the house became the property of Yodogawa Steel Works, Ltd., and was used as an official residence for the company president. It was the first Taishō period
building in Japan to be named an Important Cultural Property
, in 1974. It was opened to the public as Yodokō Guest House in 1989. The building was partially damaged due to the Great Hanshin earthquake
in 1995, but was subsequently repaired and has been re-opened.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
residence in Japan. The guest house was designed in 1918, and construction was completed six years later.
Set into a hilltop in Ashiya
Ashiya, Hyogo
is a city founded on November 10, 1940 located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Osaka and Kobe.-Demographics:As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 93,094 and the density of 5,030 persons per km². The total area is 18.47 km²...
, overlooking the Port of Kobe
Port of Kobe
The Port of Kobe is a Japanese maritime port in Kobe, Hyōgo in the greater Osaka area, backgrounded by the Hanshin Industrial Region.Located at a foothill of the range of Mount Rokkō, flat lands are limited and constructions of artificial islands have carried out, to make Port Island, Rokko...
in western
Japan, the villa demonstrates Wright's genius for spatial composition: although it has four
levels, none is taller than two stories. By stepping the house into the hill, Wright took
advantage of the extraordinary views of Osaka Bay
Osaka Bay
Osaka Bay is a bay in western Japan. As an eastern part of the Inland Sea, it is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Kii Channel and from the neighbor western part of the Inland Sea by the Akashi Strait...
the site offered. The exterior evokes Wright's Los Angeles textile block houses, but its decorative blocks are of Oya stone
Oya stone
is a igneous rock, created from lava and ash. Ōya stone was famously used in the facing of Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. One reason this stone was used is because it has a warm texture and is easily carved, which allows much versatility...
, not concrete.
In 1947, the house became the property of Yodogawa Steel Works, Ltd., and was used as an official residence for the company president. It was the first Taishō period
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
building in Japan to be named an Important Cultural Property
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
, in 1974. It was opened to the public as Yodokō Guest House in 1989. The building was partially damaged due to the Great Hanshin earthquake
Great Hanshin earthquake
The Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale , and Mj7.3 on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20...
in 1995, but was subsequently repaired and has been re-opened.