Yamate 234 Ban-Kan

Yamate 234 Ban-Kan is one of the Western-style mansions in Yamate. It was originally built around 1927 for the foreign residents who left Yokohama because of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. At the time of its completion, the building had two floors, and there were four identical dwelling units. The two units on the same floor were facing each other across the front porch. It also had some of the typical features of a Western residence, such as double hung windows, storm shutters, and chimneys that were adopted with simplified specifications. Each unit had three bedrooms, a living room, and a dining room, which are arranged efficiently and neatly. The building was overtaken by the American army after World War II, but in 1989, the City of Yokohama obtained this property to preserve the historical landscape, and it has been opened to the public since 1999 after the completion of repair work. On the first floor, there is a panel exhibition about Western-style mansions in the Yamate area displayed mainly in the living room. The second floor is a leased space used for art exhibitions and conferences. It is a 10-minute walk from the Minato Mirai Line Motomachi-Chinatown Station. It is located along Yamate Hondori Street, diagonal to the Ellisman Mansion, which is another one of the Western-style mansions in Yamate.