The Ehrismann House, a Western-style building steeped in history, stands on the hills of Yamate, Yokohama

Enter an artistic space!
YOKOHAMA ART SPOT FILE

Communicating the history of the foreign settlement era to the present day
Yokohama Yamate Western-style Building "Ehrisman Residence"

The Ehrismann House stands on a hill in Yamate, overflowing with an exotic atmosphere. It was built in 1926 by Antonin Raymond, known as the "father of modern architecture," and was the home of Swiss trader Fritz Ehrismann.
It was moved and restored to Motomachi Park in 1989, and opened to the public the following year as the "Ehrismann House." This Western-style building, which is extremely valuable in architectural history, can be viewed for free, and is now one of Yokohama's leading tourist spots.
The impressive mansion, with its white walls and green edging, surrounded by many plants and flowers, changes appearance depending on the season, and on sunny days you can see many people taking photos and sketching. Inside the mansion, you can see 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 mansion while imagining what life was like back then! The mansion also holds various events throughout the year, which are always very popular.

The entrance to the Ehrlismann House.
The building's appearance conveys a deep history, and it attracts people of all ages.

Motomachi Park Street. In addition to the Ehrismann House, the Yamate district is home to six other Western-style buildings.

The building is surrounded by three large trees. Its appearance changes with the seasons, making it a very attractive sight.

On sunny days, people can be found reading on the terrace at the top of the stairs, or taking a relaxing break with friends, making it a place of relaxation for people from both inside and outside the local area.

There is a slope next to the entrance of the museum, so wheelchair users can enter the museum (only for the first floor exhibition).

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

A retro public phone at the entrance.
If you call, you might be able to get through at that time!

A portrait of the mansion's owner, Mr. F. Ehrisman, and his wife (who is Japanese).
On the first floor, a restored Western-style room from the Taisho period is on display.
The furniture, such as chairs and tables, were designed by architect Raymond.

Living room and dining room

Reception room with fireplace

Sunroom facing the south garden terrace

Terrace seats. On fine days, the warm sun shines down on you.

If you go up the stairs to the left, it leads to the basement hall.

The stairs leading to the basement hall are a bit steep, so be careful!

The basement hall is used as a rental space and is used for exhibitions, workshops, etc.

At the time of our visit, a group exhibition of works by students from the "Sketching Class" was being held.

Next we head to the second floor where there were once three bedrooms!
Currently, two large bedrooms are used as exhibition rooms, where visitors can deepen their understanding of Yamate's Western-style buildings by looking at documents related to the buildings, such as photographs and drawings.
Materials and flyers are also available to view in the conference room.

It makes you wonder, "What was the room decorated like back then?"

Items that were used at the time are on display along with photographs.

A model of the Ehrismann House and a diorama of the Yamate area

I wondered where my house was! (I knew it was probably around here!)

From the window of the room, you can see the Marine Tower and Motomachi Pool in front. (The pool is hidden by the trees.)
In addition, the old kitchen area on the first floor is now used as a coffee shop.

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

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

The theme of the Ehrismann House at this time was "A riot of colours, a riot of fragrance and fragrance . "
Inside the building , FLOWER ACTIVIST Etsuko Shihomi has used seasonal flowers and plants to express a fusion of the traditional Japanese beauty of "Wa" and the Western culture of the Ehrismann House.
The moment I entered the room, it was so beautiful that I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! It's so beautiful!"

In addition, the building will be transformed into various themed decorations such as Halloween decorations and Christmas decorations. Many people come to see what kind of decorations will be displayed each time!

Salon concerts of various styles are held in the reception room.
At the time of our visit, a salon concert featuring the prizewinners of the Kanagawa Music Competition was being held, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful music!

The Yamate district has been a pioneering place for new arts culture since its days as a foreign settlement, with the first Shakespeare plays being performed here, and the Ehrisman House also hosts art events such as concerts and exhibitions every year.
Next year will also see the 13th Yokohama Yamate Arts Festival and many other exciting events throughout the year, so I'm looking forward to them too.

Personally, I really love the Ehrisman House and have visited it many times.
No matter how many times I go, I always discover something new and it's always fun and refreshing!
When you are strolling around Yamate, why not visit the Ehrisman House?