The Main House of an Atami Villa
The Tozanso Main Building (東山荘本館) is the main house of a sukiya-style villa overlooking Sagami Bay of 1933, extended in 1940 in Kasugacho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 1, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building roofed in tiles and partly copper, with a building area of 240 square metres; registration number 22-0224.
The Main House above Sagami Bay
Tozanso was built in 1933 as the villa of Ishii Kengo, president of the Dai-Ichi Bank; Okada Mokichi bought it in 1944 and named it after the local place name Higashiyama, now Kasugacho (Toho no Hikari).
The main building stands toward the north-east of the site, looking out over Sagami Bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs). East of a north-south corridor, its centre rises to two storeys, each with two matted rooms wrapped by a veranda; on the ground floor the entrance wing lies to the north and the bathroom to the south.
Built of slender timbers throughout, it has a delicate design touched by the sukiya style, and large glass windows on the east side give it an open feel (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the slender sukiya-style timbers and the large glass windows facing Sagami Bay (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the Church of World Messianity (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Toho no Hikari, an organisation affiliated with the church, a local preservation society holds open days and plans regular openings; check their announcements for dates. The seven buildings are introduced together on the Tozanso page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1933, extended in 1940.
- Whose villa was it?
- Built for the banker Ishii Kengo.
- What is the design like?
- Delicate, with a sukiya touch.
- Can I visit?
- On preservation society open days.
- When was the Tozanso Main Building registered?
- On August 1, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tozanso Main Building (東山荘本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1712-5 Kasugacho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/08/01 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiles and partly copper, 240 m² |
| Owner | Church of World Messianity |
| Public Access | Opened on preservation society open days (Toho no Hikari) |
References
- Tozanso Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011139
- Moon-viewing at Tozanso, Atami, marking its first public opening (Toho no Hikari, in Japanese)
- https://tohonohikari.or.jp/topics/%E7%86%B1%E6%B5%B7-%E6%9D%B1%E5%B1%B1%E8%8D%98%E3%81%A7%E3%80%8C%E8%A6%B3%E6%9C%88%E4%BC%9A%E3%80%8D.php
Last verified: 2026.10.26
