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Matsudo-city Tojo Museum of History, Tojo-tei House,Tojo Park

Matsudo-city Tojo Museum of History, Tojo-tei House,Tojo Park

Tojo Museum of History

This is a museum adjacent to Tojo-tei House. With a focus on educating the public about Tojo-tei House, its gardens and Akitake Tokugawa, this museum exhibits ancestral artifacts from the House of Tokugawa in Matsudo, ancestral artifacts from the House of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, and materials related to the 1867 Paris Exposition.

Materials related to the Paris Exposition to which Akitake was sent as representative of the shogun, old photos from the late shogunate period to the Meiji period, documents and artifacts that tell the story of Tojo-tei, and objects that had once been treasured by Yoshinobu until the latter's death are all exhibited in turn. The exhibits in this museum are replaced once every few months, so there are periods when the exhibition room may be closed.

Tojo-tei House and Garden(Nationally designated Important Cultural Property & Nationally designated Site of Scenic Beauty)

Tojo-tei House

Tojo-tei House was finished in April 1884 after a construction period of approximately two years. It is a wooden two-storey building in a pure Japanese style. Later, Tojo-tei House was extended. There are currently nine buildings connected by corridors with a total of twenty three rooms. While Tojo-tei House is basically in the style of a feudal lord mansion, its scale is significantly smaller and it is possible to see from the floor plan that life here was very different. Although the buildings have been made with abundant use of the best cedar wood, the ornamental features are quietly elegant so as to complement the minimal space. If you go past the pine forest in the southwest direction, there is one more garden that incorporates an arbor.

Akitake Tokugawa poured his heart and soul into the surrounding garden so he could sit and enjoy the lovely view from the parlor. In this Meiji-era garden, the lawn, grown using Western techniques, is surrounded from the direct south to the east by a row of Japanese umbrella - pine and on the northwest by a stand of Chinese parasol tree, while there is another garden with an arbor over the pines to the southwest.

This is the oldest remaining lawn grown using Western techniques in Japan, and the method of using stands of trees as the principal landscaping is not seen anywhere else. Another highlight is the view of the Edogawa River and Mt. Fuji that can be viewed in a westerly direction from Tojo-tei House. The Old Akitake Tokugawa Garden (Tojo-tei Garden) website has more details on the garden. Tojo-tei House: a nationally designated Important Cultural Property Old Akitake Tokugawa Garden: a nationally designated Site of Scenic Beauty

Tojo Park

The House of Tokugawa ruled Japan over a period of 260 years from approximately 400 years ago. Whilst no longer in a position of power, remnants of the House of Tokugawa, can still be found in the present day. It is Tojo Park where it is possible to see the dwelling and garden of the House of Tokugawa, built during the period of change after the end of their rule – the Meiji Period (1868 to 1912).

Akitake Tokugawa(1853 to 1910), a younger brother of the last ruler (shogun) of the House of Tokugawa (Yoshinobu Tokugawa, 1837 to 1913), finished building Tojo-tei House in April 1884 and completed work on the garden at the end of 1890. An area of approximately one third the size of the site that once exceeded 70,000m2 has since been turned into a historical park. Within this park you will find the Tojo Museum of History and the Shountei Pavilion, where traditional Japanese tea ceremonies are held.

There are large Japanese umbrella pine and sawara cypress trees at an elevation of about 25m that look out over the Edogawa River and Mt. Fuji on the west side. You can also enjoy seasonal flowers, such as ume (Japanese apricots), deep red weeping cherry trees and potted wisteria. The singing of the birds can be heard throughout this green park.

Shountei Pavilion
Address714-1 Matsudo, Matsudo City, Chiba-ken
WEBhttps://www.city.matsudo.chiba.jp/tojo/index.html
Business Hour*19:30 to 16:30(close at 17:00)Tojo Park is open to visitors from 9:00 am.
Closed*2Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), year-end and New Year holidays (December 28 to January 4)
Genre*3History, crafts, gardens, old books, Architecture
Entrance Fee*4Tojo Museum of History Adults ¥250(¥200), University and High School students ¥100(¥80) Tojo-tei House Adults ¥250(¥200), University and High School students ¥100(¥80) Common admission fee Adults ¥320(¥250), University and High School students ¥160(¥120)
Access*5About 10 minutes walk from Matsudo Station (JJ06,JL22) East Exit.
Collection Page 
*1 The last day of an exhibition or event may end early. *2 There are also end-of-year and temporary closures *3 Blanks refer to all genres. *4 Admission prices may vary depending on the event. Check for senior citizens, children and group discounts.*5 The times shown are approximate.

 

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