A Vories House That Predates the Great Earthquake
The Friends Center (Religious Society of Friends, Japan Yearly Meeting) (キリスト友会フレンズセンター) is a missionary residence of 1922 in Mita, Minato Ward, Tokyo, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 26, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber house with a basement and a slate roof, covering 142 square metres, enlarged in 1930; registration number 13-0190.
A Missionary House by the Vories Office
The Friends Center was built as a missionary residence: a two-storey timber house, partly over a basement (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has a hipped slate roof and mortar-rendered walls, and its entrance canopy, tall sash windows, large dormers and brick chimney give it its character.
It was designed by the architectural office of William Merrell Vories (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, one of the few Western-style houses in Tokyo that predate the Great Kanto Earthquake.
What to Look For
The large dormers, brick chimney and tall sash windows are the things to see (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the Japan Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and no official information on visiting was found.
Q&A
- When was the Friends Center built?
- In 1922; it was enlarged in 1930 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed the Friends Center?
- The architectural office of William Merrell Vories.
- What was the Friends Center originally?
- A missionary residence.
- Why is the Friends Center valuable?
- It is one of the few Western houses in Tokyo older than the 1923 earthquake.
- When was the Friends Center (Religious Society of Friends, Japan Yearly Meeting) registered?
- On December 26, 2005 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Friends Center (Religious Society of Friends, Japan Yearly Meeting) (キリスト友会フレンズセンター) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-8-19 Mita, Minato Ward, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005/12/26 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, basement, slate roof, 142 m² |
| Owner | Japan Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends |
| Public Access | No official visiting information |
References
- Friends Center (Religious Society of Friends) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005107
Last verified: 2026.10.16