Former Nasu Villa of Japan Diplomat Details Region’s Development; History Comes to Life in Western-Style Meiji Era Home

By Ryu Kondo / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:27 JST, September 8, 2025

NASUSHIOBARA, Tochigi — As you walk down a 240-meter-long avenue lined with large cedar trees, a Western-style mansion with an impressive white exterior comes into view.

It used to be the villa of Shuzo Aoki (1844–1914), a politician and diplomat of the Meiji era (1868-1912) who played a pivotal role in revising unequal treaties with foreign powers.

The Former Villa of Aoki Shuzo is one of the most popular tourist spots in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, renowned for its beautiful scenery and a popular destination to get photos taken for weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies.

The Nasu region, famous as a resort destination for avoiding the summer heat, was once known as Nasunogahara, a vast uninhabited wilderness. With the government’s industrialization policy gaining momentum, former statesmen of the Meiji era invested their own funds to develop farms in the area. One of them was Aoki, who served as foreign minister under the cabinets of Aritomo Yamagata and Masayoshi Matsukata. Aoki built his villa near his farm in 1888.

The exterior walls are adorned with scale-like slates, and the dormer windows protruding from the roof evoke a European ambiance. The interior, including the stairs, is uniformly white, with ornate decorative columns catching the eye. There is also an attic room — which is not open to the public — constructed using German architectural techniques common at the time.

Aoki spent many years abroad, and his wife was German. His keen Western taste, which once prompted him to say, “Living on tatami mats is uncomfortable,” is evident throughout the mansion.

Alongside exhibits detailing the history of the area’s development, the villa also displays items actually used by Aoki, such as a horse-drawn carriage and formal attire, offering visitors a glimpse into the atmosphere of the Meiji era.

“This is a valuable building that symbolizes the development of Nasunogahara. I hope visitors will experience the history firsthand,” said the director of the nearby Nasunogahara Museum, who is familiar with the villa’s history.

Nasushiobara is a sister city with Linz, Austria, a city that has been home to some of Aoki’s descendants. The signing ceremony was held at this villa in 2016, with exchange programs continuing between the cities. This summer, middle school students from both cities performed in a choir at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. A renowned diplomat who supported Japan during the Meiji era, Aoki continues to serve as a bridge between Japan and the world.

Former Villa of Aoki Shuzo

Address: 27 Aoki, Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture

Access: About 10 minutes by car from the Kuroiso-Itamuro Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway

Hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (until 4:30 p.m. from October to March). Closed on Tuesdays, or the following day if a holiday falls on Tuesday, from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3.Admission: ¥200 for adults, ¥100 for elementary and junior high school students.