This was used as a residence and studio of ASAKURA Fumio who was a master of Japanese modern sculptures. There is a rooftop garden on the art studio building which was used for his creative work and teaching younger artists. This is a valuable example of green rooftop gardens on ferroconcrete buildings which started around the beginning of the Showa Era. The entire premises, including the buildings, received recognition as a National_designated Place of Scenic Beauty.
cultural property : historic sites and places of scenic beauty as natural monuments
type : places of scenic beauty
7-18-10 Yanaka, Taitō-ku, Tōkyō-to 110-0001
Tel：03-3821-4549
Home page : www.taitocity.net/zaidan/asakura/
ASAKURA Fumio was a master of Japanese modern sculptures and this garden is in his old residence and studio in the residential area of Yanaka, Tokyo. He lived there and used the studio for his own creative work and teaching younger artists until his death in 1964.
The current art studio and Sukiya-style residential building were constructed when the house was renovated in 1935. The courtyard is surrounded by buildings on all four sides. It is quite small (10 m long from north to south and 14 m long from east to west) and a pond (water surface) occupies most of it. Some stones are arranged in the pond and visitors can enjoy deutzia in spring and Japanese maples in fall. Various ornamental stones and plants create a profound waterscape. The rooftop garden on the art studio building is also a valuable example of green rooftop gardens on ferroconcrete buildings which started around the beginning of the Showa Era.
ASAKURA opened the ASAKURA School of Sculpture using his house and studio. The rooftop was used daily by Asakura’s students to grow vegetables and learn about gardening.