A German-Style Villa on the Nasu Plain
The Former Aoki Family Nasu Villa (旧青木家那須別邸) is a farm villa of 1888 in Aoki, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 1, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber villa of two storeys with single-storey parts and a sheet-metal roof, covering 318.9 square metres; designation number 02371.
A Villa of a Pioneer Farm
The Aoki estate was one of the large farms opened across the Nasu plain under the Meiji government's policy of promoting industry, founded in 1881 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The villa also served for managing the farm; its central wing was completed in 1888 to designs by Matsugasaki Tsumunaga, who introduced German architecture to Japan.
The east and west wings joined to the central wing were added in 1909, as was the lookout on its roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values it as one of the few buildings that tell the history of the settlement of the Nasu plain and the lives of the elder statesmen who ran its farms, and as the only surviving work in Japan by Matsugasaki Tsumunaga. It was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 1, 1999.
Scale-Patterned Slate and German Influence
Its exterior is light and lively, its interior well composed around spaces such as the stair hall, and its walls are distinctively clad in scale-shaped slates (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In its framing and roof structure the influence of German building is strong.
What to Look For
Look for the scale-patterned slate walls, the rooftop lookout and the stair hall inside (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is open to the public as the Tochigi Meiji no Mori Memorial Museum. According to the prefectural ordinance, admission is 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Check the official information for opening hours and closing days.
Q&A
- When was the Aoki villa built?
- The central wing in 1888 and the side wings in 1909.
- Who designed it?
- Matsugasaki Tsumunaga.
- What is special about its walls?
- They are clad in scale-shaped slates.
- How much is admission?
- 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for children (prefectural ordinance).
- When was the Former Aoki Family Nasu Villa designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On December 1, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Aoki Family Nasu Villa (旧青木家那須別邸) |
|---|---|
| Location | 27-2462 and 29-6 Aoki, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1999/12/01 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys with single-storey parts, sheet-metal roof, 318.9 m² |
| Owner | Tochigi Prefecture |
| Public Access | Tochigi Meiji no Mori Memorial Museum (adults 200 yen) |
References
- Former Aoki Family Nasu Villa (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/2078
- Tochigi Meiji no Mori Memorial Museum ordinance (Tochigi Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/reiki/reiki_honbun/e101RG00000612.html?id=j2
Last verified: 2026.10.18