A Rustic Cedar-Bark Villa in Karuizawa
The Former Reischauer Villa (旧ライシャワー家別荘) is a summer villa of the late Meiji period in Karuizawa, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 24, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 74 square metres; registration number 20-0433.
Cedar Bark and Asama Stone
The Former Reischauer Villa was the summer house of August K. Reischauer: a two-storey timber building under a hip-and-gable sheet-iron roof, its walls clad in cedar bark (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Inside, the frame is of logs and the walls are covered in cedar bark and woven bamboo, with a fireplace of Asama stone, a thoroughly rustic arrangement that also takes care over ventilation and light (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency calls it a typical example of a Karuizawa villa and registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the cedar-bark walls, the log frame and the Asama-stone fireplace (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
No official information on public access was found.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In the late Meiji period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Whose villa was it?
- August K. Reischauer's.
- What is it like?
- Rustic, with cedar-bark walls, log framing and a stone fireplace.
- Why was it registered?
- As a typical Karuizawa villa.
- When was the Former Reischauer Villa registered?
- On December 24, 2013 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Reischauer Villa (旧ライシャワー家別荘) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1004-34 Karuizawa, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2013/12/24 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, sheet-iron roof, 74 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Former Reischauer Villa (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009755
Last verified: 2026.10.21