Nagoya is not noted for its traditional architecture or skill at preserving its cultural heritage. A booming industrial economy has flattened most buildings that survived Second World War bombing, and a journey of many kilometers is necessary to escape the urban sprawl. But there is an exception to every rule, and an example can be found tucked away on Kakuozan’s quiet, hilly back streets.

Yokiso was the home and hobby of Suketami Ito, a Nagoya native and the founder of Matsuzakaya department stores, for about 20 years until his death in 1940. Ito was a philanthropist as well as a businessman of high social standing, and received as much respect for his charitable work as for his commercial achievements. He traveled extensively, leading him to organize events promoting mutual understanding and cultural exchange, and he also provided accommodation and support for students from other Asian countries.

Originally, Yokiso was comprised of more than thirty buildings on a 10,000 tsubo (approximately 33,000 square meter) plot to the east of Nittai-ji (Japan-Thai temple), a prime vantage point for enjoying the beauty of the full moon. Prefiguring Meiji-mura, many buildings of historic importance were brought to Yokiso from their original sites between 1918 and the 1930s and reconstructed with the aim of preserving them.

Yokiso suffered significant damage during World War II air raids, and only three buildings and a garden now remain. The site is currently maintained by a non-profit organization consisting of former Matsuzakaya employees, local residents and preservation-minded Nagoyans. In keeping with Ito’s ideals, they organize and host cultural events at Yokiso’s most impressive building, Chosho-kaku. These occasional gatherings both serve as motivation for the volunteers to sustain their preservation activities and allow guests the chance to step back in time and catch a glimpse of how the Nagoya aristocracy lived in the recent past.

This three story wooden house, completed in 1937, is a curious mishmash of styles. The exterior features a roof of Japanese tiles and the exposed beams of an English Tudor house. Inside, the first and second floors are of western style, with some Chinese woodwork features thrown in, and the third floor rooms are Japanese style. But the biggest surprises are lurking in the basement. A series of large murals, painted by an Indian artist, is hard to miss, but there is also an interesting Indian flavor to the stonework of the walls and ceiling. The piece de resistance is the theater stage, which Ito used to entertain his high society friends and foreign guests.

Chosho-kaku’s history is almost as convoluted as its design. In 1945 it was taken over by the occupying Allied forces, and it served as the Commander’s residence until 1952. Later, from 1961 to 1979, it functioned as a dormitory for Matsuzakaya workers. Inevitably the building lost some of its luster during these turbulent events, but more than enough atmosphere and artistry lingers to interest visitors.

Connected to Chosho-kaku is a parlor, a smaller building brought in 1919 from the present-day site of the Yaba-cho Matsuzakaya department store. Sadayakko Kawakami, famous as the first Japanese actress to break men’s hold on the stage, once lived in the house before it was moved. These two buildings look out on to the same Japanese style garden at their rear. The garden was supposedly designed using elements of the Shugakuin Imperial Villa garden in Kyoto. The careful layout and selection of trees and plants creates a different ambience in each season, and the garden nicely complements the languid elegance of the buildings that gaze down upon it. Sadly there is no longer a teahouse perched next to the pond, but the garden remains a delightful place to enjoy tsukimi (moon viewing).

The remaining building, Bangaro, is separated from by Chosho-kaku by a distance of about 200 meters. Unfortunately this distance is currently a construction site, and another of Nagoya’s anonymous apartment blocks will soon divide Yokiso and cast a literal shadow on these low-rise dwellings. Bangaro was designed by the well-known modern architect Teiji Suzuki, and has one more floor than its name might suggest. It has a more traditional Japanese feel in its lines and the materials with which it is constructed, and features a tea ceremony room on its second floor.

In the second half of 2006 Yokiso will be handed over to the control of Nagoya city and is intended to become a tourist attraction. Precisely how it will be used remains to be decided, but the NPO is considering proposals including exhibitions about the site’s history and Ito’s life, a restaurant, and guest rooms enabling visitors to sample the unique atmosphere during an overnight stay. The looming apartment buildings may block the light of the moon, but Yokiso’s future as a piece of living Nagoya history seems assured.