Japan House in Paris Set for Overhaul Ahead of 2029 Centenary; Building Has Ties to Leonard Foujita, Takeo Miki, Others

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, January 8, 2026

The Foreign Ministry is set to embark on the first large-scale renovation in about 30 years of the Maison du Japon (Japan House) at the Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris in France.

With researchers and artists from Japan and beyond living and interacting at the facility, the ministry intends to preserve the building’s function as a key base for Japanese academics ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2029.

Completed in 1929, the seven-story building was founded by Jirohachi Satsuma (1901-76), a businessman and patron of Japanese artists in France who financed the project entirely through his private wealth.

The building, which is managed by a foundation established by Satsuma, is funded primarily through rental income from its residents, with the Japanese government subsidizing a portion of its operating costs.

In the past, the residence has hosted distinguished figures such as mathematician Kiyoshi Oka (1901-78), architect Kunio Maekawa (1905-86), and Prime Minister Takeo Miki (1907-88). It also houses precious cultural assets, including paintings donated by Leonard Foujita (1886-1968), and currently serves as a home for about 70 researchers, including about 40 Japanese.

While renovations were previously undertaken between 1995 and 1998, the building’s infrastructure has deteriorated in recent years, with issues such as aging air conditioning and heating as well as plumbing, damaged roofing tiles and a lack of universal design or barrier-free access becoming increasingly apparent.

Renovating the facility has become an urgent task, given its ongoing role as a daily hub for international exchange where lectures, symposiums and research presentations take place.

To address these issues, the ministry has included about ¥270 million in its supplementary budget for fiscal 2025 to cover the cost of the renovations.

The ministry aims to launch the project within fiscal 2025, with a target completion date in 2029. “Through these renovations, we intend to provide a foundation that supports the continued growth of Japan’s cultural and academic sectors,” an official related to the project said.

The Cite Internationale Universitaire de Paris was established in 1925 to provide housing and facilitate cultural and academic exchange for students, researchers and artists from various countries enrolled in higher education and research institutions in the Paris region, including Paris Cite University.

The complex, which also includes national pavilions such as United States House and Canada House, currently accommodates a vibrant community of around 12,000 people.