Erisman Residence, a historical Western-style building built on the hill of Yamate, Yokohama

Sneak into an artistic space!
YOKOHAMA ART SPOT FILE

Conveying the history of the foreign settlement era to the present day
Yokohama Yamate Western Museum “Erisman House”

Erisman Residence is located on a hill in Yamate, full of exotic atmosphere. This is the residence of Swiss trader Fritz Erismann, built in 1926 to the design of Antonin Raymond, known as the ``father of modern architecture.''
In 1989, it was relocated to Motomachi Park and restored, and the following year it was opened to the public as the Erisman Residence. This Western-style building, which has an extremely high value in architectural history, can be viewed for free and is now a representative tourist spot in Yokohama.
The building, which has impressive white walls and green borders surrounded by many plants and flowers, changes its appearance depending on the season, and on sunny days you can see many people taking photos and sketching. Inside the building, there is a living room/dining room with a table, a reception room with a fireplace, and a sunroom overlooking the garden, so it's fun to walk around the building while imagining the lifestyle of the time! In addition, various events are held at the museum throughout the year, and it is always very popular.

Entrance to Erisman House.
People of all ages are fascinated by the building's appearance, which conveys the depth of its history.

Motomachi Koen-mae Street. In addition to the Erisman House, there are six other Western-style buildings in the Yamate area.

A mansion surrounded by three large trees. The appearance that changes depending on the season is very attractive.

On days when the weather is nice, the terrace seats at the top of the stairs are a place of relaxation for people from both inside and outside the area, such as people reading books or taking a relaxing break with friends.

There is a ramp next to the entrance of the museum, so even people in wheelchairs can enter the museum. (1st floor exhibition only)

Admission is free. Take off your shoes at the entrance, put on slippers and enter the building.

A retro public telephone at the entrance.
If you call, you might be able to connect back then! ?

A portrait of Mr. F. Erisman, the owner of this museum, and his wife (Japanese).
On the first floor, you can see a restored version of the rooms in a Western-style building from the Taisho era.
Furniture such as chairs and tables were designed by architect Raymond.

living room and dining room

Drawing room with fireplace

Sunroom facing the south garden terrace

Terrace seats. On sunny days, the warm sun shines down.

The stairs to the left lead to an underground hall.

Stairs leading to the underground hall. It's a bit sudden so be careful!

The basement hall is used as a rental space, and exhibitions and workshops are also held here.

At the time of the interview, a group exhibition of students from the Sketch Class was being held.

Next up is the second floor, where there were once three bedrooms!
Currently, the two large bedrooms are used as exhibition rooms, where you can deepen your understanding of Western-style buildings by viewing photographs and drawings of materials related to Western-style buildings in Yamate.
You can also view materials and flyers in the conference room.

I can't help but wonder, "What kind of decoration did the room have at that time?"

Items used at the time are on display along with photos.

A model of the Erisman residence and a diorama of the Yamate area

I was wondering where my house was! (Maybe around here? I understand!)

From the room window, you can see Marine Tower and Motomachi Pool in the foreground. (The pool is hidden behind a thicket of trees)
Additionally, the old kitchen on the first floor is now used as a tea room.

Western-style buildings with balconies and chimneys are wonderful, aren't they? The contrast between the green and white of Erisman House is truly beautiful! !

The building is usually simply decorated, but during events held during early summer, Halloween, and Christmas, the inside of the building is decorated gorgeously according to each theme by professional flower artists.
Here, we would like to introduce the decorations for the 18th Flower and Vessel Harmony 2018 , which was held this spring!

The theme of Erisman's residence at this time was ``A plethora of colors, a plethora of colors and scents . ''
Inside the museum , FLOWER ACTIVIST Etsuko Shihomi used seasonal flowers to express the fusion of traditional Japanese beauty and the Western culture of the Erisman residence.
The moment I entered the room, it was so beautiful that I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! It's amazing!"

In addition, the inside of the building will be transformed into various appearances with theme-based decorations such as Halloween decorations and Christmas decorations. Many people seem to be looking forward to seeing what kind of decorations they have each time!

Salon concerts of various styles are held in the drawing room.
At the time of our interview, a salon concert was being held by the winners of the Kanagawa Music Competition, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful tones!

The Yamate area has been a place where new art festival culture was first introduced, with Shakespeare's plays being performed for the first time in Japan since the settlement era, and artistic events such as concerts and exhibitions are also held every year at the Erisman residence. .
There will be many attractive events held throughout the year next year, including the 13th Yokohama Yamate Art Festival, so I'm looking forward to those as well.

Personally, I love the Erisman House and have visited it many times.
No matter how many times I go, I discover new things every time, and it feels so fun and refreshing!
Why not visit the Erisman Residence when you are strolling around Yamate?