Mitaka City House of Stars, Forest and Picture Books

In short

​Mitaka City House of Stars, Forest and Picture Books​ is an exhibition facility operated by Mitaka City, situated within the woods of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. It preserves and utilizes the Former Official Residence No. 1, built in 1915 for high-ranking observatory officials, hosting picture book exhibits as well as activities that foster interest in nature and science. The former residence structure is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Mitaka City.

• ​Taisho Era Official Residence​​: Featuring a study, tatami-matted guest rooms, and long hallways, it displays items used before 1955, including telephones, sewing machines, and brazier heaters (hibachi).
• ​Picture Book Reading Room​​: Bookshelves are categorized into themes such as "stars," "earth," and "forest," and visitors may read freely anywhere inside the building.
• ​Observatory Forest Garden​​: A spacious garden featuring a botanical bed where wild plants native to the observatory grounds are cultivated.

History and Highlights

​Mitaka City House of Stars, Forest and Picture Books​ was established and is operated by Mitaka City with the cooperation of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Utilizing a Taisho-era building and a spacious garden in the observatory woods, it offers picture book exhibits and activities that encourage an interest in nature and science. It opened in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy.

The centerpiece of the facility is the Former Official Residence No. 1. It was built in 1915 (Taisho 4) as a high-ranking official's residence during construction works to relocate the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory from Azabu-Iigura to Mitaka. It was a fine house complete with a student's room, maid's room, study, and guest room, and was used as an official residence for nearly 90 years. Although all the other official residences on the observatory grounds—numbering up to No. 43—were demolished in 2004, the Former Official Residence No. 1 alone was preserved for its value as a cultural property.

Mitaka City dismantled the building received from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and restored and rebuilt it in 2009 to comply with current building standards. The exterior and the interiors of the main entrance, study, guest room, and anteroom (tsugi-no-ma) were returned to their appearance at the time of construction. The former residence portion is the very first Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Mitaka City.

Viewing and Experience Points

• ​Tools of Daily Life from the Past​​: Featuring a study, tatami-matted guest rooms, and long hallways. The furnishings were actually used before 1955; visitors can look at and touch antique telephones, treadle-operated sewing machines, and braziers donated by local citizens.
• ​Room-by-Room Highlights​​: The former living room has had its ceiling removed to create an open-atrium picture book exhibition room. The former earthen-floored kitchen (doma) is now the science room, which retains windows meant to vent smoke from cooking stoves. In the architecture exhibition room located in the former entrance, visitors can see blueprints dating back over 100 years and architectural components uncovered during dismantling.
• ​Reading Room and Garden​​: Shelves in the reading room are divided into "stars," "earth," "forest," "plants," "animals," and "people and daily life"; books may be read freely anywhere in the building. Book lending is not available. In the garden, there is a botanical bed where plants native to the observatory grounds are grown.

Tips for Exploring

The entrance is through either the back gate or the main gate of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan Mitaka Campus. From the administration building, walk through the gallery corridor and take off your shoes at the central entrance before stepping into the Former Official Residence No. 1. The gallery corridor displays original picture book illustrations on stars and space, selected through an open competition. The study is a small room with an alcove (tokonoma) and an open veranda (nureen) on its south side.

If you also wish to walk along the observatory's visitor tour route, check in at the reception desk by the main gate. The visitor route includes the First Equatorial Telescope Room and the Observatory History Museum, both Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan. The Mitaka City Osawa-no-Sato Watermill Farmhouse is located about 790 meters west of here.