A Prince's Villa with a Plum-Tree Post
The Ume Goten (Plum Villa) (梅御殿) is a villa built for an imperial prince of 1890 in Ichibancho, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The year comes from Mishima City; the Agency gives the mid-Meiji period.
The Agency records a two-storey timber building roofed in copper, with a building area of 150 square metres; registration number 22-0114.
Part of Prince Komatsu's Mishima Villa
Ume Goten is part of the former Mishima villa of Prince Komatsu (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Mishima City says it was built in 1890 for Prince Komatsu Akihito, a figure of the Meiji Restoration, as a two-storey villa in the Kyoto sukiya manner, and that Rakujuen park has managed it since April 2013.
The building steps with the slope of the site: the entrance is on the lower level at the west, three rooms of 6 and 9 mats run along the upper level to the east, and a 10-mat reception room turns the corner to the southeast (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, an example of a residence for the imperial family built with sukiya refinement.
What to Look For
The alcove post of the main room facing the pond is a plum trunk, which Mishima City says gave the villa its name, Ume Goten, the Plum Palace (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Mishima City).
Visiting
Ume Goten stands inside Rakujuen, a park run by Mishima City, and is hired out as a venue (Mishima City). The park opens from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April to October and to 4:30 p.m. from November to March, closing on Mondays and over the New Year; admission is 300 yen for visitors aged 15 and over and free for younger children.
Q&A
- When was Ume Goten built?
- In 1890, according to Mishima City; the Agency gives the mid-Meiji period.
- Why is it called Ume Goten?
- Because a plum trunk is used for the alcove post of the main room.
- Where is Ume Goten?
- Inside Rakujuen park in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture.
- What are the Rakujuen opening hours?
- 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April to October, to 4:30 p.m. in winter; admission 300 yen.
- When was the Ume Goten (Plum Villa) registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ume Goten (Plum Villa) (梅御殿) |
|---|---|
| Location | 15-6 Ichibancho, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, copper roof, 150 m² |
| Owner | Mishima City |
| Public Access | Inside Rakujuen park (admission charged; hired out as a venue) |
References
- Ume Goten (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005839
- Ume Goten (Mishima City Rakujuen, Japanese)
- https://www.city.mishima.shizuoka.jp/site/rakujyuen/5430.html
- Opening hours and fees (Mishima City Rakujuen, Japanese)
- https://www.city.mishima.shizuoka.jp/site/rakujyuen/5429.html
Last verified: 2026.10.15