Kobayashi Ichizo Memorial Museum

In short

A facility that showcases the achievements of the industrialist Kobayashi Ichizo, who laid the foundations of Hankyu Corporation, centered around his former residence, the "Gazoku Sanso Villa." The Gazoku Sanso Villa is a residence completed at the foot of Mt. Satsuki in January 1937 (Showa 12). Following Ichizo's passing in 1957 (Showa 32), it was used as the Itsuo Art Museum, and after the art museum relocated, it opened as a memorial museum in 2010 (Heisei 22).

• ​Gazoku Sanso Villa and the Nagayamon Gate​​: A Western-style residence that skillfully blends Japanese and Western styles, with its interior restored to its appearance from when Ichizo lived there. It is said that the Nagayamon gate serving as the main gate was relocated from a village headman's residence in Higashinose Village (now Toyono Town)
• ​Three Teahouses​​: "Soku-an Teahouse," a chair-seated teahouse devised by Ichizo; "Hiin," a two-mat teahouse said to have been relocated from a temple in Kyoto; and "Ningatei" remain in the garden
• ​Exhibits at Hakubaikan​​: Visitors pass through partitions modeled after Hankyu train cars while tracing the current group businesses and the ideas and ingenuity of Ichizo that brought them to life through photographs and documents

History and Highlights

The ​Kobayashi Ichizo Memorial Museum​ is a facility that showcases the achievements of the industrialist Kobayashi Ichizo, who laid the foundations of Hankyu Corporation, centered around his former residence, the "Gazoku Sanso Villa." Born in 1873 in what is now Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Ichizo founded the Minoo Arima Electric Railway in 1907. He achieved success through the original idea of developing residential areas along the railway lines simultaneously with the train service, and went on to launch businesses enjoyed by many people, including the opening of the Hankyu Department Store and the founding of the Takarazuka Revue and Toho.

The Gazoku Sanso Villa is a residence completed at the foot of Mt. Satsuki in January 1937. It was named with the sentiment of enjoying art and daily life as one. Although it is a two-story Western-style reinforced concrete building, it skillfully blends Japanese and Western styles, such as by roofing the structure with Japanese-style smoked silver tiles. Following Ichizo's passing in 1957, it was used as the Itsuo Art Museum, and after the art museum relocated, it opened as a memorial museum in 2010.

In 2009, the Gazoku Sanso Villa, the teahouses "Soku-an Teahouse" and "Hiin," the main gate (Nagayamon), and the walls were designated as national Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. On this occasion, the interior of Gazoku Sanso Villa was restored to its appearance from when Ichizo lived there.

Viewing and Experience Highlights

• ​Gazoku Sanso Villa and the Nagayamon Gate​​: It is said that the Nagayamon gate serving as the main gate was relocated from a village headman's residence in Higashinose Village (now Toyono Town). Passing through the gate and stepping inside the Western-style residence, you can see how things looked when Ichizo lived there.
• ​Three Teahouses​​: The teahouses of Ichizo, who enjoyed the tea ceremony, remain in the garden. "Soku-an Teahouse" is a chair-seated teahouse devised by Ichizo, designed so that guests in its 10 chair seats can enjoy tea at the same eye level as those seated on the tatami. "Hiin" is a two-mat teahouse said to have been relocated from a temple in Kyoto, with its name bestowed by Konoe Fumimaro. Additionally, there is "Ningatei."
• ​Exhibits at Hakubaikan​​: Inside the Hakubaikan building on the grounds, visitors pass through partitions modeled after Hankyu train cars while tracing the current group businesses and the ideas and ingenuity of Ichizo that brought them to life through photographs and documents.

Tips for Exploring

The museum is about a 13-minute walk from Ikeda Station on the Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line. In the garden, cherry blossoms bloom in spring and maple leaves turn color in autumn. A mansion restaurant operates on the first floor of Gazoku Sanso Villa. About 190 meters to the west is the Itsuo Art Museum, which exhibits Ichizo's collection, and walking about 260 meters to the northwest leads to the site of Ikeda Castle.