Former Hinata Family Atami Villa (Former Hinata Villa)

Rihei Hinata, who prospered in Asian trade, completed this detached villa in 1936 (Showa 11) as an annex to his main residence.
The two-story wooden main building was designed by Jin Watanabe, known for projects such as Wako in Ginza, Tokyo, the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, and the Aichi Prefectural Office.
The basement’s interior was designed by the world-renowned German architect Bruno Taut, making this the only surviving architectural work he left in Japan.

The villa comprises three main rooms: a social room richly furnished with bamboo and paulownia wood, a Western-style room with an interior staircase as part of the room, and a Japanese-style tatami room. The design consciously reflects Japanese aesthetic traditions such as the Katsura Imperial Villa and Ise Grand Shrine.

After the death of the Hinata family head, the villa was carefully used as a corporate retreat. Faced with the threat of demolition in 2004 (Heisei 16), Atami City acquired the property thanks to a donation from a philanthropist living in Tokyo. In 2006 (Heisei 18), it was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

More than 80 years after its completion, deterioration and the urgent need to improve seismic performance made repairs critical. From fiscal 2018 (Heisei 30) to fiscal 2021 (Reiwa 3), large-scale conservation and repair work was carried out.
In August 2022, the villa reopened to the public after preserving and reproducing its original condition as much as possible.

※Visits require advance reservation only (online reservations only). For details and reservations, please check the Atami City official website.

Address／8-37 Kasuga-cho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture 413-0005
Phone／0557-86-6232 (Atami City Lifelong Learning Division, Cultural Exchange Office: weekdays only)
Access／About a 10-minute walk from atami station
Opening days／Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 9:00–17:00, shift schedule ※online reservation required
Admission／Adults 1,000 yen; junior and senior high school students 700 yen
Parking／None