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Honma Museum of Art and Seienkaku Guesthouse, once owned by the Honma Family, are both located close to Sakata Station. Not only is the Honma Family well known for having been the richest landowner in Japan, but the family is also known for contributing greatly to regional development and the local people’s lives.
Honma Museum of Art was built in 1947 to bring hope and life back to the people after the country’s defeat in World War II. It was the first private art museum in Japan, and was originally constructed from wood, but the present building was constructed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its establishment.
Although the Honma Family was the richest in Japan, they made a point of living simply and frugally. Since they did not purchase expensive art, at first the museum displayed pieces from the lord of the Shonai, Sakai, and the lord of Yonezawa. The museum was subsequently donated to the city of Sakata and now exhibits purchased artworks. Japanese art, Western art, and crafts are exhibited in turn, with displays changing approximately 5 times a year.
The Guesthouse Garden
The circuit-style Japanese garden was built against the backdrop of Mt. Chokai. It is named Kakubuen, which means dancing crane. Here and there are stone lanterns and precious rocks, which were brought from Osaka and Tokyo. Look through the opening in the stone lantern to get a view of Mt. Chokai framed by the shape of the lantern opening.
The Honma Family Guesthouse
This was once a guesthouse built by the Honma Family not for themselves, but to accommodate the lord of Shonai, Sakai when he came to inspect the region. Originally a one-story building, the second floor was added around 1920. Emperor Hirohito also stayed here when he visited. The walls on either side of the stairs look like woven bamboo, but are actually carved zelkova wood. On the second floor, the walls were specially finished in such a way that clouds and sky seem to appear or disappear, depending on the viewing angle. The glass in the windows was handmade (around 1920), which accounts for the air bubbles inside the glass.
(Koichi Ito et al., VIPS)
The photos on this page are courtesy of the Shonai Visitors Association.
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