Visit Otaru Kihinkan (The Old Aoyama Villa) located in the Otaru area of
Hokkaido, with a history of 100 years, it has been designated as one of the
national cultural properties. See the Aoyama Villa, which took the third
generation of the Aoyama family six years to build. The detailed construction
methods and ingenious design of the Aoyama Villa show the glory of the Meiji
period. The museum also houses a collection of various works of art, providing
an in-depth understanding of the lifestyle and contemporary culture of the
Meiji period.
— What You Can Expect —
Otaru Kihinkan (The Old Aoyama Villa) is a mansion built by the big boat
owning Aoyama family who flourished in the herring fishery during the Meiji
era. It took six years to build the villa with a total floor area of about
1,400 tsubo (about 4,628 square meters). From the exterior of the building to
the interior bedrooms, corridors, toilets, etc., it was designed by first-
class craftsmen in Japan at that time. The museum also has a collection of
very precious works of art and restaurants. You can enjoy authentic Japanese
cuisine. The garden is an exquisite Japanese garden composed of pine trees and
round sand grains, showing the glory of the time. In addition, about five
hundred hydrangeas bloom every summer, and with traditional buildings,
reflects the beauty of Japanese elegance.
Old Aoyama Villa (Herring Palace)