What Is International Christian University Taizanso Shoin?
International Christian University Taizanso Shoin (国際基督教大学泰山荘書院, Shoin) is a tile-roofed reception wing on the International Christian University campus in Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, built new around 1936 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1999.
It was built as a separate formal wing to the southeast of Taizanso's main house, a farmhouse moved from Hino, and the two were joined by a corridor. The Shoin is a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a footprint of 77 square metres, the largest of the five Taizanso buildings whose floor area is on record.
Inside are two rooms, one of 6 mats and one of 8 mats, the larger with a raised section (jodan) at one end. A tatami-floored veranda wraps around both rooms, edged by an open-air veranda, and the east side has a board-floored veranda. Amid Taizanso's thatched gate and tea rooms, this is the formal room for receiving guests, finished with quiet refinement.
The Fire and the Shoin
In 1966 fire destroyed the main house. The Shoin, joined to it by the corridor, was damaged as well but was later repaired. With the main house gone, it now stands as a building on its own.
Since the university took over the property, the Shoin has been used for a range of campus events. On the annual special open days the university tea club holds a tea gathering inside it and in the courtyard, so a building from a villa made for tea still serves tea.
Why It Is Registered
International Christian University Taizanso Shoin was entered on the national register on October 14, 1999 as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register number 13-0058, under the criterion of serving as a model of form.
Unlike Kofukyo and the Waiting Room, which were assembled from relocated buildings, the Shoin was built new for Taizanso. The 8-mat room with its raised section, and the layered verandas of tatami, open-air decking and boards that wrap the two rooms, show what sort of formality an early Showa villa owner wanted in a reception room. That well-ordered design is presumably what the registration criterion recognizes.
What to Look For
The Shoin stands near the middle of the grounds, southeast of where the main house once was. It is a neat single-storey building under clay tiles, clearly a different material world from the thatched Front Gate and Waiting Room.
From outside, watch the verandas that run around the rooms. The tatami-floored veranda has an open-air veranda beyond it, and only the east side switches to boards. Walk around the building and compare how each side is finished.
Immediately east of the Shoin stands the storehouse. The two once served the main house as its formal room and its store, and their positions help you imagine how far the house spread before the fire.
Visiting the Shoin
International Christian University Taizanso Shoin is normally closed. The exterior can be seen on the university's special open days; during the 2026 opening it can be viewed freely without booking from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The interior is not part of the public viewing.
On the open days the tea club holds a tea gathering (a fee applies) inside the Shoin and in the courtyard. It may not be photographed, and photography is also banned during the reserved guided tour. Directions to the campus and the open-day schedule are on the International Christian University Taizanso page.
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Q&A
- Can I see inside International Christian University Taizanso Shoin?
- The interior is not part of the public viewing. The exterior can be viewed freely on the special open days, when the tea club holds a tea gathering (a fee applies) inside the Shoin and in the courtyard.
- When was International Christian University Taizanso Shoin built?
- It was built new around 1936, when Taizanso was being laid out. It was damaged when the main house burned in 1966 and was later repaired.
- What is the layout of International Christian University Taizanso Shoin?
- It has two rooms, one of 6 mats and one of 8 mats with a raised section. A tatami-floored veranda with an open-air veranda wraps around them, and the east side has a board-floored veranda.
- Are tea gatherings still held at International Christian University Taizanso Shoin?
- Yes. On the university's special open days the tea club holds a tea gathering (a fee applies) inside the Shoin and in the courtyard. It may not be photographed.
- Where is International Christian University Taizanso Shoin within Taizanso?
- Near the middle of the grounds, southeast of the site of the main house that burned down. The storehouse stands just to its east.
Basic Information
| Name | International Christian University Taizanso Shoin (国際基督教大学泰山荘書院) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-10-2 Osawa, Mitaka City, Tokyo (International Christian University campus) |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/10/14 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, building area 77 square metres |
| Owner | International Christian University (educational corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior closed. Exterior viewable on special open days |
References
- International Christian University Taizanso Shoin (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001369
- Buildings of Taizanso (ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)
- https://subsites.icu.ac.jp/yuasa_museum/taizanso_web/build.html
- Taizanso Special Opening 2026 (ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)
- https://subsites.icu.ac.jp/yuasa_museum/taizanso_web/2026koukai.html
- Why is Taizanso, a registered cultural property, on the campus? (International Christian University)
- https://www.icu.ac.jp/about/whyicu/page_50.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
