The Thatched Home of Japan's First Prime Minister
Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence (伊藤博文旧宅, Ito Hirobumi Kyutaku) is the thatched timber house in Chinto, Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where Ito Hirobumi lived from the age of 14 to 28, which in 1932 was designated a Historic Site.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it under the criterion for former residences, gardens and places of special association. Yamaguchi Prefecture gives the address as Shindo, Chinto, Hagi, with Hagi City as owner.
The designation text describes three structures, the house, a bathhouse and a privy. The house is a single-storey thatched building of seven rooms including an entrance and a formal room, with a floor area of 27 tsubo; the Hagi tourism association gives about 29 tsubo.
Ito Hirobumi and the House
The Hagi tourism association says Ito was born in 1841 to a farming family in Tsukari, now part of Hikari City. The house had belonged to Ito Naoemon, a low-ranking retainer of the Hagi domain, and when Ito's father Hayashi Juzo was adopted into the Ito family in 1854, the whole family moved in.
Ito entered the Shoka Sonjuku academy in 1857 and in 1863 slipped abroad to study in Britain as one of the Choshu Five. The house remained his base until he left to become governor of Hyogo in 1868.
He toured the West with the Iwakura Mission in 1871 and became Japan's first prime minister in 1885. In 1909 he was shot at Harbin Station and died at the age of 69.
What to Look For
The small thatched house keeps the scale of the home where a future leader of the Meiji state spent his youth as the son of a low-ranking samurai household. With the seven rooms recorded at designation in mind, picture the plan from outside Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence.
The tourism association notes a nearly life-size figure of Ito in Hagi ware beside the house, and next door the Ito Hirobumi Villa, part of which was moved here from Tokyo.
Visiting Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence
According to the Hagi tourism association, Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence can be viewed from outside only, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with no closing days. Enquiries go to the Hagi City tourism section on 0838-25-3139.
It is about 4 minutes on foot from the Shoin Jinja-mae stop of the Hagi loop Maaru bus (eastbound). By car, use the Shoin Shrine car park or the Ito Hirobumi Villa car park (six spaces, free).
Q&A
- When was Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence designated?
- It was designated a Historic Site on 25 March 1932.
- When did Ito Hirobumi live in the house?
- From 1854 until he left to become governor of Hyogo in 1868.
- What is Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence like?
- Three structures: a thatched single-storey house of seven rooms, a bathhouse and a privy.
- Can I go inside Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence?
- No, it can be viewed from outside only, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- How do I get to Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence?
- About 4 minutes on foot from the Shoin Jinja-mae stop of the Hagi loop bus.
Basic Information
| Name | Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence (伊藤博文旧宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | Shindo, Chinto, Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 1932/3/25 (Showa 7) |
| Quantity | 3 structures (house, bathhouse, privy) |
| Dimensions | House: single-storey thatched, 7 rooms, 27 tsubo |
| Owner | Hagi City |
| Public Access | Exterior only, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/2396
- Cultural Heritage Online: Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/217439
- Yamaguchi Prefecture: Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence (Japanese)
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/sp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=10008
- Hagi Tourism Association: Ito Hirobumi's Former Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.hagishi.com/search/detail.php?d=100012
Last verified: 2026.09.28