← previous day

Bluff No.111 - view from the garden (Yoshiyuki's)

Previous Next

546B27

5D4A3C

Bluff No.111 - view from the garden (Yoshiyuki's)

Posted by Japanalia (Yokohama, Japan) on 5 March 2008 in Architecture and Portfolio.

My husband has an interest for all these old western style houses in Yokohama on the Yamate Hill or The Bluff, as the foreigners used to call it. The area is a high cliff opposite the Yokohama industrial harbour where the "foreign settlement" came into existence after the "opening" of Japan to the world in mid 19th century.
This is the house with the tearoom I posted yesterday. The view is taken from the garden and it shows off the beautiful terrace.

vfxy Photoblogs | Listed on Photoblogs.org

Comments (18)

givethemhell from Germany

This is a beautiful house in Yokohama. Did it belong to a Western trader or businessman in former times?

5 Mar 2008 9:46am

@givethemhell: This is the house with the tearoom on the groundfloor......you saw the cup of tea yesterday! It is in Spanish style and it was built for an American trader by an American Architect. The architect made a specilly good use of the difference in levels of the terrain. The area is hilly with many ups and downs. The good thing is that the Yokohama municipality bought several of these western style houses, redecorated and then opened them for the public view.To me...it is like visiting something I know. To the Japanese...at least some of them.....it must be quite a thrill.
The house is in very good shape and houses, at times, various events....painting exhibitions, flowers arrangemnets, even concerts.

chris chisu from Seattle, United States

I never knew there are western houses in Japan. Anyway...i also liked the Doll posts.

5 Mar 2008 10:00am

@chris chisu: What do you KNOW about Japan, Chris?! Don't tell me that you believe Japan IS still like in the novel "Shogun", which was very popular in the StatesI like it that you came visiting! Thank you!

MaryB from Staffordshire, United Kingdom

How wonderful, it looks a beautiful place to rest and enjoy a cup of tea.
A very interesting story about the house too.

5 Mar 2008 10:10am

Teresa Durães from Montijo, Portugal

nice photo

5 Mar 2008 11:14am

timothy sullivan from tokyo, Japan

yeah-- if i recall, there's a park nearby isn't there? i really love that area as well; great place to wander around-- lovely image btw!

5 Mar 2008 11:55am

martie from Okinawa, Japan

Interesting house! The terrace is, indeed, beautiful.

5 Mar 2008 12:07pm

Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada

wonderful architecture...love the terrace ;)

5 Mar 2008 2:09pm

Daroru from Amagasaki, Japan

That sounds like Kobe and Nagasaki, many similar buildings for similar reasons. Have you visited those cities Gabriela?

5 Mar 2008 2:34pm

givethemhell from Germany

Thank you for your answer, Gabriela.

5 Mar 2008 2:59pm

@givethemhell: I'm so sorry, I cannot access your Blog! Your "name" does not come out underlined when you comment. I tried to look for you at other people's shots, but it is the same. Do you know WHY? It really upsets me because I love your blog!

Helma from Tehran, Iran

nice house ! ........ beauty shot , thanks.

5 Mar 2008 3:14pm

vu@granby - Wolfgang Prigge from Granby, QC, Canada

I can see why this is a perfect place to enjoy a cup of tea, well done Gabriela!
P.S.: I have the answer to the enigma about givethemhell's blog. Once in a while, for no apparent reason, the URL to our blogs dissapears when we post a comment, once it does this will repeat itself until we realize it and put it back in. So it's a good idea to have a quick look before we hit the "Post Comment" button.

5 Mar 2008 3:35pm

@vu@granby - Wolfgang Prigge: Thank you, Wolfgang, for the kind explanation!!!I'll keep it in mind!

Judy from Brooksville-Florida,, United States

This is a wonderful image for Yoshiyuki to sketch ... or perhaps he already has.
The architecture is something one might see also in Miami, Florida.

5 Mar 2008 7:33pm

Photographs by M.E. from Encino, United States

your picture did not only show the beautiful garden (and the sky above), it also showed how good you are as a photographer!

5 Mar 2008 10:40pm

@Photographs by M.E.: My husband thanks you for this compliment, M.E.!

standley from Brou-sur-Chantereine, France

Nice capture. I like the terrace!

5 Mar 2008 10:57pm

e. from New York, NY, United States

They're very pretty. I like the terrace a lot.

6 Mar 2008 5:21am

Michael Skorulski from Cigel, Slovakia

Yes, from this you wouldn't know it was in Japan. Even the woman sitting on the balcony looks very western in hair color. An excellent image.

6 Mar 2008 6:23am

Illuci from Hurdegaryp, Netherlands

Although it's Western, you still see Eastern traits in the style and the roof tiles are certainly no import from Europe or US! Happy people who can live there.

6 Mar 2008 9:04am

Noel Coe from Gales Ferry, CT, United States

Either we lived in this house in the 1930's or a very similar one on the Bluff. This would be showing the back of the house and the windows on the ground floor from left to right in the picture would be the dining room, the study (with the entrance hall behind), and the living room. On the first floor, the windows don't seem quite right . I thought the master bedroom was to the right, not with such small windows. And I don't remember there being a second floor. The terrace was there, but with no railing. The house was for the National City Bank's (now Citiibank) Yokohama manager. I rode my bike every day to the International School partly on a gravel road along the Bluff. But it was a long time ago and maybe I don't recollect exactly.

7 May 2009 2:14pm

Add your comment ...

next day →