The Hirose Residence in Niihama

The entrance fee is 520 yen for adults and 260 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Cherry trees cover the lawn of the park.

The main rooms display simple elegance with some Western influences which are a treat to discover.

The kitchen was probably the most vibrant and active area of the residence perhaps making it the most interesting room to visit now. It reminds us that we take for granted the mundane household items in our homes these days.

Saihei Hirose started working at the nearby Besshi Copper Mine at 11 years of age and retired as the Director in Chief of Sumitomo Industries at the age of 67 in 1894.

A Western toilet on the second floor in the Meiji Era must have been a tremendous novelty. The sign asks that visitors do not use it.

The old panes of glass charmed me the most. Their whirls, ripples, and bubbles distorting the view reminded me that history can often be carefully constructed and obscurely coloured.

Saihei Hirose, 1828 - 1914

There is evidence that the residence as well as the items within and surrounding it were and still are preciously maintained.

In Japan, moss on your "wa" is a good thing.

The garden contains a tea house, a covered terrace, a pond, a shrine, a records storehouse, statues, greenery, creatures flying and crawling, as well as silence, peace, and fresh air.

The Hirose Memorial Museum overlooks a large square pond which is surrounded by a walkway and cherry trees.