A Modernist House above the Kanmon Strait
The Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum (Former Ringer Residence) (藤原義江記念館（旧リンガー邸）) is a reinforced-concrete house built in 1936 for a family connected with a foreign trading firm, on the slope of Mount Beniishi overlooking the Kanmon Strait at Amidaijicho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Yamaguchi Prefecture).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as three storeys above ground and one below, with a building area of 133 square metres; registration number 35-0048, owned by Akama Jingu. It is also a component of the Japan Heritage story of the nostalgic Kanmon Strait (Japan Heritage portal).
The Ringers and the Tenor Fujiwara Yoshie
According to Yamaguchi Prefecture, the house was built for Michael Ringer, son of the manager of Uryu Shokai, the first foreign trading firm in Shimonoseki. The Japan Heritage portal adds that Uryu Shokai was the agent of Holme Ringer, which arrived around 1890, and that the house was for a time the residence of the British consul.
The opera singer Fujiwara Yoshie, active from the Taisho to Showa periods, was the son of a manager of Uryu Shokai who lived in a Western house next door (Yamaguchi Prefecture). According to the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual text, Fujiwara founded the Fujiwara Opera company after the war, and the building became his memorial museum in 1983.
Why It Was Registered
The Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its smooth walls with small-hooded rectangular windows, free of ornament, and its interiors in straight-lined design, as a record of the spread of the modern architectural movement.
What to Look For
The Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum is a smooth, plain composition of simple rectangular blocks with almost no ornament. Inside, the walls are painted white like the exterior, and the design is equally linear and restrained; the architect and builder are unknown (Yamaguchi Prefecture).
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the museum displays mementoes of Fujiwara's life, and in the living room you can hear his early hits on a gramophone, among a fireplace, period furniture and the piano he loved.
Visiting the Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, visits to the interior of the Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum require a reservation. It is at 3-14 Amidaijicho, Shimonoseki City, on high ground above the Kanmon Strait (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Check opening days and contacts with the owner, Akama Jingu.
Q&A
- When was the Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum built?
- In 1936 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Yamaguchi Prefecture).
- For whom was the house built?
- For Michael Ringer, son of the manager of the trading firm Uryu Shokai (Yamaguchi Prefecture).
- Who was Fujiwara Yoshie?
- An opera tenor of the Taisho and Showa periods who founded the Fujiwara Opera company (Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan Tourism Agency).
- What is special about the architecture?
- A modernist house with smooth walls and small-hooded rectangular windows, free of ornament (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum?
- Interior visits require a reservation (Japan Tourism Agency).
Basic Information
| Name | Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum (Former Ringer Residence) (藤原義江記念館（旧リンガー邸）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-14 Amidaijicho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 3 storeys above ground and 1 below, building area 133 square metres |
| Owner | Akama Jingu (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Interior visits by reservation |
References
- Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum (Former Ringer Residence) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005920
- Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum (Yamaguchi Prefecture cultural properties)
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/sp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=110198
- Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum (Japan Heritage portal)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/3482/
- Fujiwara Yoshie Memorial Museum (Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary database)
- https://www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db/R5-00675.html
Last verified: 2026.10.11