The site of the former villa of Munemitsu MUTSU, who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs




This is the site of the villa built for the convalescence of Munemitsu MUTSU (1844-1897), born in Wakayama Prefecture, a politician and diplomat who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the second Hirofumi ITO cabinet.

After MUTSU's death, the villa was taken over by his second son Junkichi, who was adopted by the FURUKAWA family.
The building from MUTSU's time was partially destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake.
In 1930 Toranosuke FURUKAWA, third head of the FURUKAWA family, rebuilt the present building.
It is a wooden building modelled on the former MUTSU’s villa and built in the “sukiya” style of a Japanese tea house.
The Japanese garden features a sloping terrain planted with azaleas, a rose garden, and an orchard.

In August 2020, it was designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by the town of Oiso.