The former Nagayama residence is situated east of Sapporo Factory, within Nagayama Memorial Park (永山記念公園). Why not come to this park for lunch when you visit Sapporo Factory?
A mansion quietly standing in the park next to Sapporo Factory. People may wonder why such an old, yet eclectic modern building exists in the middle of this park. By learning about the owner of this building, another thread of Sapporo’s history is unraveled.
The house was constructed by Takeshiro Nagayama, a lieutenant general and the governor of Hokkaido under the Kaitakushi, Colonization Commission. This single-story building exhibits a semi-Western architectural style and was completed around 1880 as General Nagayama’s private residence. During that era, Western technology was actively being introduced to Hokkaido to facilitate its development, and this residence was part of an experiment to blend Western architectural influences with traditional Japanese building techniques. As a result, the residence has been designated as a tangible cultural property of Hokkaido.
The north building connected to the south one was constructed after Nagayama’s residence, completed by Mitsubishi Company. In 1911, the company acquired the residence and its land, renovating the north-side building into a two-story dormitory. Part of the former residence was reserved for honored guests. Subsequently, the buildings have been meticulously preserved in recent years.
The company donated the building and land to Sapporo City in 1985, and since 1989, the city has transformed this area into Nagayama Memorial Park. One interesting feature is the juxtaposition of a Western-style room and a Japanese-style room side by side. Moreover, the floor of the Japanese-style room is higher than that of the Western-style room. It is said that Takeshiro Nagayama, the master, would sit in the Japanese room while his followers sat on chairs in the Western room. This arrangement unintentionally placed Nagayama in a position where his followers had to look up to him, which was not the intended hierarchy. To correct this, the floor of the Japanese room was elevated higher than that of the Western room. This architectural detail adds an intriguing layer of historical context to the residence.
After serving as Governor of Kaitakushi, the Colonization Commission, Takeshiro Nagayama became a member of the House of Peers. At the age of 67, he succumbed to cancer. On his deathbed, he remarked, “I have always told the Tonden-hei, the agricultural soldiers, to die in the land of Hokkaido, and I will die there too. Therefore, I will not die here. I will return to Sapporo.” Unfortunately, he did not fulfill this wish. Instead, he was buried in Toyohira Cemetery as per his request. Eventually, Toyohira Cemetery was relocated to Satozuka Cemetery, where Takeshiro Nagayama rests in eternal peace.
Link
Access
- Take a Tozai Line to Bus Center Mae(バスセンター前) and 8 min walk.
Open
9:00 – 16:00
Close
Dec, 30 to Jan, 3
Admission Fee
Free
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