Photos

Main House and exterior

This Kominka villa, set in a vast garden with a prestigious Shi-kyaku-mon (four-legged gate) and Kuruma-yose-genkan (Port entrance), is more like a guest palace than a private residence. The exquisite construction using an abundance of fine wood, fittings, transoms, and lighting fixtures all have special features that set them apart from ordinary houses. When it was first built, it may have been used as a villa for politicians and conglomerates.

The main house highlights include a luxurious Japanese-style design, such as the use of premium mulberry wood for flooring and decorated porcelain insulators. Notably, it retains its original facilities outside the Tatami rooms, including the kitchen, bath, and restrooms. These water facilities, which are often modernized over time, remain remarkably intact, offering significant cultural and historical value. The antique tiles in the bath and restrooms, though rare and highly valuable, are still in excellent condition, making this home truly unique.

Garden

The property also features an expansive and luxurious garden reminiscent of those found in temples or castles. It showcases carefully selected plants, various stone lanterns, and hand-washing basins made from renowned stones, which create picturesque focal points. The garden is dotted with well-preserved storehouses, storage rooms, and a well house, enhancing its charm and functionality.

Ido-yakata (Well arbor), Kura (Storehouse), Naya (Barn)

Surrounding Area

Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture, is located in the central part of the prefecture on the eastern side of an inverted triangle of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. On the inland plateau that makes up the majority of the city, tea is grown to take advantage of the mild climate, and the city is well known as the number one tea-producing area in Japan.

Ochii, situated along the southeastern coast of the Makinohara Plateau, lies within a corridor between the plateau and the sea. Ochii Station, which was once nearby and connected to the city, is no longer there, but the roads are now well developed. With a car, you can get to nearby cities such as Kakegawa in under 30 minutes, and from JR Kakegawa Station you can take the Shinkansen train straight to Tokyo station in a bit over 1.5 hour. Close to this villa is the Susuki Beach, famous for surfing, and to the north is the Sagara-hama Beach, famous for its beautiful white sand and majestic view of Mt.Fuji across the sea.

View of Mt. Fuji from the Sagara-hama beach which is about 6 minutes drive from the house.