The Home of a Diplomat

This house was originally built in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1910, as the residence of Sadatsuchi Uchida, a diplomat in the Meiji Government. It was designed by the American architect, J.M. Gardiner, who initially came to Japan to teach at Rikkyo school. The building was donated to The City of Yokohama in 1997 by Uchida's granddaughter, Hisako Miyairi, and moved to Yamate Italian Garden to open to the public. It was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in the same year. It is a wooden two-story structure with a dining room and two reception rooms on the first floor and bedrooms and a study on the second floor. The furniture and fixtures have been recreated so visitors can experience the life of a diplomat in the Meiji era. Materials related to the building's features, other works by Gardiner, and a Meiji era diplomat's life are on displayed in the exhibition room. There is a café in the annex where you can enjoy your teatime with a view of the city of Yokohama. It is a 5-minute walk from JR Ishikawacho station.