The house is a wonderful example of pre-war Japanese gentleman's residence which has 
survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and 1944-45 air raid bombings of Tokyo. 
Originally built in 1919 for Yoshisaburo Fujita, a successful businessman & connoisseur of 
traditional Japanese architecture, the house changed hands in 1923 owing to acquisition by 
Zenshiro Yasuda, a member of the great Yasuda zaibatsu financial combine. The Yasuda 
family loved the house very much & made only small change to the original construction 
while they lived there until 1995.  

In 1995, Kusuo Yasuda, the then family head, died, and the house was in danger because the 
government levied a huge inheritance tax on the property. His widow Yukiko seemed to have 
no choice but to demolish the house & sell the land to pay for the tax. However, she 
decided to save the house by donating it to the Japan National Trust. 

The Bunkyo Link for Architectural Preservation, a non-profit citizens organization, helped 
Mrs. Yasuda in this preservation process and continues to be involved in the general 
housekeeping and open house to the public by commission from the Japan National Trust. 
See the attached Visitor Guide for basic information on the open house programs and 
access to the house.