| Popis: |
The Kamei residence has survived for nearly 90 years. This paper investigates the architectural history of the residence through research and interviews with the present owner, analyzes and characterizes the house using relevant literature and previous knowledge gleaned from previous studies.◦The two-storied house was built as his villa in 1930 by Mitsumasa Kamei （1882-1946） who had been governor of Okinawa Prefecture （1924-1926）. The floor space is 192.6 square meters.◦Both the main building and an attached porte-cochere have gable-and-hip roofs. The eaves of the roofs are warped upward and contribute to the majestic appearance of the building’s exterior. ◦This house has a western-style room beside the main entrance, a double-loaded corridor, a private entrance, 2 restrooms and a parlor and a living room at the center of the house, and a wide solarium in front of these 2 rooms. This was a common plan for middle-class housing in the early Showa Period. ◦However, the style of drawn doors in the main entrance and the tatami-floored hall in this house seems rather obsolete. This suggests that the openness of the entrance and traditional courtesy of meeting the visitors sitting on tatami in the entrance hall were preferred by the residents.◦Many inspection windows for crime prevention remain in this house, some of which provide a view of blind spots outside. Locks with keys were also installed indoors to prevent intruders.◦The south side of the building has many horizontal sliding doors and windows. The rooms open onto a solarium and a terrace beyond. This perspective brings the rooms and the garden together.◦This house was bombed during the air raids, but there was little damage. After the war, it was requisitioned by the occupation army. Later, another family rented part of the villa and lived together with the Kamei family. Two restrooms and 2 stair cases made this possible. There have been only minor renovations, and the house is well-preserved. |
