Mohri mansion is an amazing example of traditional Japanese architecture and is a must see for any lover of traditional Japanese architecture. Located in Yamaguchi prefecture, Mohri mansion was built during the late Meiji (1868 – 1912) and early Taisho period (1912-1926), for the Mohri family. The house has many modern conveniences, such as electrical lights and indoor plumbing, while still adhering to the principals of traditional Shoin-zukuri-style architecture. Surrounded by an expansive traditional garden nestled a top a small mountain, Mohri mansion is truly an amazing home befitting a duke.
The History
Prior to the Meiji restoration of 1868, the Tokugawa Shogunate had controlled Japan for nearly two hundred and fifty years. Powerful families or Clans loyal to the Tokugawa Shogun helped maintained peace and order during the Edo period. The Mohri controlled the Chogoku region, then known as Choshu. The family were ennobled by then Meiji Emperor when the son of the last feudal lord was made a Duke after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Both the Taisho and Meiji emperors have stayed here.
The Scale
The house sits on over forty thousand square feet, has over sixty rooms and uses more than seven hundred and eighty tatami mats. The garden is expansive, and includes a large gourd-shaped carp pond, complete with a stone bridge and two pavilions. Construction of the house began in 1892 but was quickly halted due to events on the political stage. It would start back up in September of 1912, and the house was completed in 1916.
The Museum
The children’s rooms have been made into a museum where the Mohri family treasures are on display. The museum first opened in 1966 and boasts a large collection of artifacts dating from the Sengoku period (16th century) through to the Modern period. During my last visit, the theme was the Sengoku period and Mohri Motonari’s Samurai armor and man hood rite clothing were on display. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited in the museum.
Officially recognized
Yamaguchi prefecture recognized the garden of Mori mansion, as a place of scenic interest and awarded it with the honor in 1955. The national government would follow suit, thirty years later in, 1996. The house would go on to be officially recognized as an important cultural asset in 2011.
Architecture
During the Edo period, very little western influence can be seen in the buildings. However, during the Meiji and into the Taisho period, the influence of Western architecture on Japanese design becomes more evident and widespread as Japan modernizes and the need for large hotels, schools and banks increased. Some projects, like the Rokumeikan, were quite controversial, while other projects such as the Imperial Tokyo Hotel and the Yodoko guest house by foreign architects Frank Lloyd Write and Antonin Raymond would end up leaving their own mark on the architectural landscape of Japan.