Sonoda House
After the extremely hot and humid summer in Japan, we resumed our activities in September. The highlight was a lecture by Ms. Toshiko Kinoshita on the Work of the Heritage Houses Trust, followed by an exclusive tour of Sonoda House, designed by the 20th –century master architect Junzo Yoshimura, which the Trust has helped preserve.
Ms. Toshiko Kinoshita, the lecturer, was Born in Kobe in 1969. She graduated from Japan Woman’s University in 1993 and earned her Master of Science from Shibaura Institute of Technology in 1995, followed by a Master of Arts from the University of London in 1996.
She was a Rotary Foundation scholar at the Mackintosh School of Architecture from 1996-97 and a doctoral student at University of Tokyo from 2000-05. She has taught architectural history at Tokyo Science University (2000-05) and at Tokyo Denki University (2006-08). In 2013, she co-founded Community Housing Ltd. with her partner, Juan Pablo Ordonez Q. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Heritage Houses Trust and NPO Tamagawa Machizukuri House. Her publications include Visions of the Real: Modern Houses in the 20th Century I & II (a+u, 2000).
During the lecture, participants gained insight into the numerous challenges of preserving historical residences in Japan. Despite their livability, many of these residences are demolished due to health, safety, and welfare regulations. We also analyzed how the Japanese real estate market, including tax depreciation systems, tends to favour new construction over the preservation of culturally valuable homes, impacting the welfare of neighborhoods and communities.
The tour concluded with an exploration of the Sonoda House, designed by Junzo Yoshimura and completed in 1955, with an extension by Hiroshi Ogawa, a former staff member of Yoshimura’s office, added in 1987. The house has been successfully passed down to its current owner and is now open to the public for music concerts and architectural tours.
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We extend a warm invitation to all AIA members to join us in our events and activities!
Yasushi Leo Nishimura, AIA
Representative to IR, Past President of AIA Japan
