Denchu Hirakushi House and Atelier

The former residence of Denchu Hiragushi, a sculptor who developed modern wood carving in the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods. The house with his studio at the time of Taisho era can be seen today. It was built in 1919 with the support of Yokoyama Taikan, Shimomura Kanzan, Kimura Takezan, and other artists of the Japan Art Academy. It was a forerunner of modern studio architecture, with skylights facing north to provide stable natural light during the day. In 1923, Hirakushi built a traditional Japanese house beside it, and lived there with his family until 1970, when he moved to Kodaira. With the cooperation of Ibara City, volunteers from the local community, NPOs, and Tokyo University of the Arts maintain the building and open it to the public in order to honor Mr. Hiragushi Denchu and transmit new art and culture.