A Missionary House on the Shirokane Campus
The Meiji Gakuin Imbrie House (明治学院インブリー館) is a missionary residence of around 1889 in Shirokanedai, Minato City, Tokyo, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on December 25, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a copper roof and a building area of 150.8 square metres; designation number 02354.
A House Where Missionaries Lived
The Meiji Gakuin Imbrie House is a two-storey timber missionary residence with a copper roof, built around 1889 and owned by Meiji Gakuin (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
According to Meiji Gakuin, the missionary J. M. McCauley is thought to have lived here for its first seven or eight years, and William Imbrie then lived here from his return to Japan in 1897 until he left in 1922. The Japan 2x4 Home Builders Association notes that it combines a traditional post-and-beam frame with balloon framing, the forerunner of two-by-four construction, and that it was moved within the Shirokane campus by house-moving.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency record has no commentary; the structure and date set out what was designated. Meiji Gakuin describes it as a missionary residence surviving on its Shirokane campus.
What to Look For
Look at the Meiji-period missionary house and its mix of post-and-beam and balloon framing (Japan 2x4 Home Builders Association).
Visiting
It is owned by Meiji Gakuin (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Japan 2x4 Home Builders Association, only the exterior can be seen; the interior is not normally open.
Q&A
- When was the Imbrie House built?
- Around 1889 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who lived here?
- J. M. McCauley is thought to have been first; William Imbrie lived here from 1897 to 1922 (Meiji Gakuin).
- How is it built?
- A post-and-beam frame mixed with balloon framing.
- Can I go inside?
- Only the exterior can be seen; the interior is not normally open.
- When was the Meiji Gakuin Imbrie House designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On December 25, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Meiji Gakuin Imbrie House (明治学院インブリー館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-2-37 Shirokanedai, Minato City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1998/12/25 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, copper roof, 150.8 m² |
| Owner | Meiji Gakuin (educational corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior only; interior not normally open (Japan 2x4 Home Builders Association) |
References
- Meiji Gakuin Imbrie House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/2066
- Meiji Gakuin press release (January 24, 2022)
- https://www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/corporations/release/PDF/MG_220124.pdf
- Imbrie House (Japan 2x4 Home Builders Association)
- https://www.2x4assoc.or.jp/build/durability/file/durability03_inbury-hall.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.23