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Jiyugakuen Myonichikan School

Tokyo, Japan
Official Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Website

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1921

2013 photos: Exterior ..... Interior

Jiyugakuen Myonichikan: the "House of Tomorrow"

Arata Endo, working as an assistant for Wright's project constructing the Imperial Hotel, introduced Wright to his acquaintances Yoshikazu and Motoko Hani, who founded Jiyu Gakuen. Impressed by the couple's self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school.

After the main campus was relocated to Minamisawa (Higashikurume, Tokyo) in 1934, the original buildings were used by school alumni for various activities. A lengthy battle to save the aging structure was fought with the Japanese government in the 1990s. The government rewrote its regulations so that the building could be used for educational and cultural activities after being designated an National Important Cultural Asset in May 1997. After standing for almost 80 years, the building was in need of major repairs. Therefore, restoration work was conducted from January 1999 through September 2001.

 Since November 2001, it has been open to the public when not in use for weddings and other events.

- Official Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Website



Wright in Japan


Color photo and arrangement © 2013 Chuck LaChiusa
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