Kakegawa Take-no-Maru

A beautiful historical residence

Peter Sidell Nov 12, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>There's stained glass in the windows above the balcony</p>

<p>Tatami mats, paper screens and wooden frames</p>

<p>Looking out onto the garden from the house</p>

<p>Alongside the traditional design, there's a modern machine with recorded explanations</p>

<p>Did you see this above the interior window in the last picture?</p>

<p>Another interior window, of more European style</p>

<p>The balcony has a view of the garden and the castle</p>

<p>A more traditionally Japanese part of the residence</p>

<p>Looking back at the house from the garden</p>

<p>The approach to the house from the street</p>

Just across the road from Kakegawa's Stained Glass Museum, the Take-no-Maru is a beautiful traditional old residence, an annex to the town's castle and neighbouring palace. For a token ¥100 entrance fee you get to enjoy the historical atmosphere and unfussy, elegant design, a blend of Japanese and western styles. There are plenty of interesting features: a phoenix carved into an interior panel, stained glass in the windows above the balcony, which has a good view of the castle. There's also a cafe where you can buy tea, snacks or boxed lunches, to have either inside or, as a number of people were doing on the sunny day when I visited, in the pleasant garden.

Peter Sidell @peter.sidell

I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.