Ownership of the Tekigais\u014d passed from Irisawa to Konoe in 1937, not long after the latter became prime minister. This made the Konoe residence the place where Japan\u2019s course was determined, with countless unofficial political conferences held in its reception room. In December 1945, after World War II, Konoe chose to take his own life in his study at the Tekigais\u014d.<\/p>\n
Yoshida Shigeru, who laid the foundations of Japanese governance from the immediate postwar through to the recovery period, rented part of the Tekigais\u014d from the Konoe family in 1947 and lived there for around a year. Yoshida had much to think about here as he built the framework of postwar Japan. He had originally connected with Konoe through a movement that sought peace through a swift end to the war, and they are said to have shared a mutual respect that transcended their respective positions and beliefs. The Tekigais\u014d was thus a witness to Japan\u2019s turbulent history before, during, and after World War II.<\/p>\n
Dragons in the Reception Room<\/p>\n
In the Chinese-style reception room, the eye goes first to the table with mother-of-pearl inlays and dragon motifs on the ceiling and floor tiles. It\u014d Ch\u016bta had traveled to China, India, Turkey, and elsewhere to examine local architecture in search of Japan\u2019s architectural roots, and he used his deep insight and powers of imagination to create something in accordance with the ideas of Irisawa Tatsukichi, a connoisseur of Chinese poetry.<\/p>\n
The room\u2019s table and chairs are luxuriously inlaid with mother-of-pearl turban shells. The original furniture was lost, but these reconstructions by Mitsubishi Seisakusho were based on surviving photographs. The inlay gleams with rainbow iridescence when it catches the light, eloquently speaking to the amount of fine handicraft involved.<\/p>\n Lowering one\u2019s gaze reveals that the table\u2019s legs rest on dragons\u2019 claws. Dragons and other fantastical creatures are often hidden away in It\u014d Ch\u016bta\u2019s architecture. Examining the wallpaper or other decorations elsewhere in the Tekigais\u014d can reveal other minor discoveries of this nature.<\/p>\n The Parlor Where Japan\u2019s Fate was Decided<\/p>\n The highlight of the tour is the Western-style parlor. This room, where many political conferences took place and sometimes even cabinets were formed, is the main reason that the Tekigais\u014d became known as the prime minister\u2019s other residence.<\/p>\n In 1940, as the Second Sino-Japanese War lengthened, Konoe gathered figures such as Matsuoka Y\u014dsuke and T\u014dj\u014d Hideki here for discussions which resulted in the policy decisions leading to the formation of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy. Today, scanning the tablet in front of the parlor summons up images of Konoe, T\u014dj\u014d, and others to reenact this Ogikubo Conference as a work of augmented reality as if the tense debate were taking place before the visitor\u2019s very eyes.<\/p>\n The parlor\u2019s upholstery and tablecloth were faithfully restored based on colorization analysis of surviving black-and-white photographs. The uncompromising attention to detail and masterful technique applied to this recreation extends even to the stuffed animals mounted on the walls and the clothing of the dolls on display in the cabinet.<\/p>\n The Everyday Space of the Dining Hall<\/p>\n The room beside the parlor is the dining hall, a space where the everyday and the extraordinary intersected. Here the family sat around the table to dine together each day; but here was also where key historical figures enjoyed refreshments after their discussions were over.<\/p>\n The corridor\u2019s windows offer views of the dazzling green lawn outside. The wooden frames have intricate artisanal designs, while the windowpanes have the distinct waviness of old glass. Gazing through this century-old glass at the lawn where Konoe is said to have enjoyed golf. I feel the mysterious sensation of being caught between multiple layers of time.<\/p>\n The Study Where Time Stood Still<\/p>\n Beyond the dining room and its dance of light and foliage is a room in the Japanese style where the weight of history hangs somberly in the air.<\/p>\n The study where Konoe chose to end his own life using poison in December 1945 has been preserved by his surviving family members as sacred ground since then. The scroll in the tokonoma alcove was written by Konoe himself. It reads Moto tachite, michi sh\u014dzu, roughly meaning \u201cOnce the starting point is decided, the way emerges of its own accord.\u201d Standing before the study door, one feels as if time itself were standing still.<\/p>\n Taking a Break in the Tekigais\u014d Gallery Caf\u00e9 (Designed by Kuma Kengo)<\/p>\n After experiencing the historical gravitas of the Tekigais\u014d residence, a brief break in the newly built Tekigais\u014d Gallery sounds appealing. This separate wing nestled within the spreading boughs of a zelkova tree was designed by Kuma Kengo to harmonize with the surrounding environment. The design creates a seamless landscape extending from the Tekigais\u014d proper to the new gallery space.<\/p>\n Along with Roast House Brown Chip coffee, the cafe menu includes a number of delicacies from local stores, selected by staff on visits to these establishments: jumbo monaka from Nishiogikubo Miharad\u014d, mizuy\u014dkan<\/a> from Kajin Y\u016bto, snowballs from Petit Grace, and seasonal marshmallows from Torajirushi Kashiya. From March through June, the cafe offers a sundae that is effectively a collaboration between local confectioners, using sorbet from Gelateria Sincerita, biscuits from Patisserie en Famille, and sweetened azuki bean paste from the venerable sweets store Toraya.<\/p>\n And so I enjoy flavors that would normally require wandering far and wide across the neighborhood, all in one place\u2014in a building designed by a giant of modern architecture, Kuma Kengo, no less. From the window, I can admire the richly green gardens and the Tekigais\u014d itself, another work by a master architect a century ago. If you prefer quiet contemplation in cafes, a morning visit is recommended.<\/p>\n A Walking Course Around the Three Gardens of Ogikubo<\/p>\n The Tekigais\u014d, \u014ctaguro Park, and Kadokawa Garden are collectively known as the Three Gardens of Ogikubo. Since all three are within ten minutes\u2019 walk of each other, why not drop by the other two after visiting the Tekigais\u014d? Each of the three has its own distinctive cultural atmosphere\u2014in \u014ctaguro Park, the Steinway piano built in 1900 and used with love by music critic \u014ctaguro Motoo; in Kadokawa Garden, the early modern sukiya-style residence owned by Kadokawa Gen\u2019yoshi, founder of Kadokawa Shoten. Together the three gardens convey the multilayered appeal of the Ogikubo area.<\/p>\n Not the main stage of history, yet certainly somewhere that moved the times\u2014this is the category into which the Tekigais\u014d falls. Visiting this residence deep among the trees, we step softly into the space beyond the words on the page in history textbooks. There we find a room where the powerful spoke freely and privately; a study where one human quietly chose death; and artisanal work from a century ago that still gleams proudly in the sunlight today.<\/p>\n Tekigais\u014d Park Tekigais\u014d Gallery Caf\u00e9 (Originally published in Japanese on May 31, 2026. Reporting, text, and photographs by Kawaguchi Y\u014dko, except where otherwise stated. Banner photo: The Tekigais\u014d Gallery Caf\u00e9. \u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Tekigais\u014d Gallery Caf\u00e9 in Tokyo is associated with two prime ministers, and was a witness to Japan\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67857,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[6013,8,31,52],"class_list":["post-67856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-japan","tag-cafe","tag-japan","tag-nippon","tag-tokyo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046342.jpg\")
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The dragon on the ceiling was painted by Wang Yiting, a Shanghai-born industrialist and calligrapher. (\u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046343.jpg\")
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The parlor where discussions that decided the future of Japan were held. On the right, a photograph of the Ogikubo Conference. As you can see, even the tablecloth has been faithfully recreated. Seated at far left is then-owner of the Tekigais\u014d, Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro. (\u00a9\u00a0Ky\u014dd\u014d)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046344.jpg\")
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The Old Noritake tableware in the cabinet is the actual set once used by the Konoe family\u2014a must-see for lovers of antique tableware. (\u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko)<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046345.jpg\")
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The space feels so modern, it\u2019s hard to believe that it is a century old. (\u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko)<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046346.jpg\")
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The study where Konoe Fumimaro took his own life. (\u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko)<\/p>\n![\"You](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046347.jpg\")
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You can admire the Tekigais\u014d from the cafe\u2019s picture windows. (\u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3046348.jpg\")
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The sweetened azuki bean paste and strawberry sundae is a collaboration between local confectioners that can only be enjoyed here. (\u00a9\u00a0Kawaguchi Y\u014dko)<\/p>\n
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\nAddress: 2-43-36 Ogikubo, Suginami-ku, Tokyo
\nHours: 9:00 am\u20135:00 pm (last entry 4:30 pm)
\nClosed: Wednesdays, New Year holidays (Lawn area closed only during New Year holidays)
\nAdmission: Adults 300 yen, elementary and junior high school students 150 yen (Free for preschool children)
\nAccess: 15 minutes\u2019 walk from the South Exit of Ogikubo Station on the JR Line and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
\nWebsite: https:\/\/ogikubo3gardens.jp\/tekigaiso\/<\/a> (Japanese)
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\nAddress: 1F Tekigais\u014d Gallery Hall (East Side), 2-42-12, Ogikubo, Suginami-ku, Tokyo
\nHours: 10:00 am\u20134:00 pm
\nClosed: Wednesdays, New Year holidays
\nAccess: 15 minutes\u2019 walk from the South Exit of Ogikubo Station on the JR Line and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
\nWebsite: https:\/\/ogikubo3gardens.jp\/tekigaiso\/tenjitou\/<\/a> (Japanese)
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