Kiunkaku, Shizuoka

“Kiunkaku” is a tourist attraction with tranquility in a busy Atami area. The precious architecture of a cross between Japanese and foreign style retains the tasteful atmosphere from the Taisho era to the early Showa era, and is often used as a shooting place for TV programs. It creates a world that feels like a taste of slipping through time.
“Kiunkaku” is one of the “three major villas of Atami”. Since “Sumitomo villa” is no longer at present and “Iwasaki villa” is private, it is only “Kiunkaku” that can be seen now. It became “Atami City designated tangible cultural property” in 2000, and since then Atami City operates and is open to the public.
“Kiunkaku” is not a building that was built at one time, but has been expanded and rebuilt by owners of wealthy people over a long period of time. Since it was built in 1919 as a villa, it has a history of about 100 years, but there was also a time when it was used as a hotel. The site is about 10,000 square meters, and it is a mansion built to surround a Japanese garden.
There is a lot of sights even if you take a tour through the interior of “Kiunkaku” and it takes quite a while, but the garden is worth a visit, so don’t forget to take a tour. The garden of “Kizukaku” is over 3000 square meters, and is the garden of “the Chisen-kaiyushiki-teien style” (a stroke-style garden around a big pond). There are seasonal plants and boulders around the pond. It is made to enjoy scenery and a walk.
The nearest station to Kiinkaku is Atami Station, but it takes about 20 minutes on foot. It is convenient to use a bus from the station. It is about 1 minute walk from the bus stop.
Admission fee is 510 yen for adults, 300 yen for high school students and junior high school students, and free for elementary school children and younger. Opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:00, and the final reception is at 16:30. It is Wednesday on regular holiday.
If you are visiting Atami, please visit it

Called one of the three biggest villas of Atami

The Kiunkaku is the building which was based on an annex of businessman Kaichiro Nezu, railroad minister Shinya Uchida built in Atami in 1919. It was luxurious made, and it was called one of the three biggest villas of Atami along with the closed Iwasaki villa, Sumitomo’s house which had been demolished.

Loved by many great writers representing Japan

The Kiunkaku was again born as a hotel representing Atami in 1947, and many lodgers were greeted.
It was loved by many great writers representing Japan, such as Yukio Mishima, Naoya Shiga, and Dazaiosamu and Koyo Ozaki.
From every room, you can look at the beautiful garden which is proud of width of 3000 square meters or more.
Seasonal flowers is also beautiful and a plum and atami-zakura (cherry tree of Atami) also begin to bloom from early spring.

The precious inheritance of Japanese modern architecture

The building of the Kiunkaku is two, the main building of traditional construction in Japanese style, and a European-style building which sinicism and the Japanese decoration are used while being based on Western style. The life of the upper class of those days can also be inferred from its lavish structure.
There are many thing which remain still in the state at the time of construction, and it is the place which can be observed the precious inheritance of Japanese modern architecture.

The figure still left in the state at the time of construction

Because the front gate built in 1919 was often used for the gate of the house of the doctor, it is called Yakui-mon gate (a gate where one roof covers both the main front pillars and the rear support pillars). It was hiwadabuki once (cypress bark roof), but is kawarabuki now (a roof made of fired clay tiles). It has the figure which still left in the state at the time of construction mostly except it.
In a building built in the Taisho era, all the thing which a gate, the earthen wall, a main building, an annex, gardens remain is very precious at all.

The tangible cultural property

Atami-shi owns it from 2000 and is opened to the public as the Atami-shi designation tangible cultural property.

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