The former house of Awashima Kangetsu in Mukjima

In Mukjima, home to over a hundred Tky Gesiha, next to the gates of Kfukiji Temple
stands a white plastered wall with embedded lanterns.

External white plastered wall

Behind this enigmatic faade is a house originally built by Awashima Chingaku

) in 1884 and named Bonun An (The Buddhist Cloud Retreat). It was originally
associated with the Kfukiji Temple as a hermitage. The house eventually
became the residence of Awashima Chingakus son, the poet, painter, essayist and novelist
Awashima Kangetsu. He had a passion for collecting Edo era memorabilia, mostly toys, and he had
amassed a considerable collection of over 3,000 items. However, when the Great Kant Earthquake
struck on 1st September 1923 the house burnt down and his collection was destroyed. An anecdote
records that he went out afterwards and bought 7 or 8 toys from a night market at Kjimachi. The
house was rebuilt in December of that year but it was once again destroyed in a bombing raid at the
end of the Second World War and again rebuilt.

Awashima Kangetsu and some of his toy collection

The building, the site of which has been used in movie and TV dramas, covers an area of 224 square
meters and has been designated a Cultural Asset. It is a wooden two storey building with a tiled roof
decorated with some itabuki (shingle roofing - ). More than half the site is made up of gardens
and the courtyard garden which abuts the genkan (entrance) is in dry landscape style karesansui (
).

Entrance

It is now a rytei () called Miyako specialising in kapp (Japanese

cuisine).
For more information on its current use and for photographs of the rooms and gardens please see
the links below.
Address:
Kapp Miyako
Mukjima 5 chme, Sumida, Tky, Japan 131-0033
131-0033 5-3-5
Tel. 0336223850
http://www.honjyo.or.jp/ryotei/index-r4_gikan.html
http://www.locationbox.metro.tokyo.jp/catalog/restaurant/006777.php
Biographical notes on Awashima Kangetsu:
Awashima Kangetsu , born the 23rd day of the 10th month of Ansei 6 of the Japanese
calendar* (17th November 1859 Gregorian calendar) died 23rd February Taisho 15 (1926). He is
buried in Somei Cemetery, Komagome, Tky. His real name was Awashima Tomio (
)and he was the son of the painter ) Awashima Chingaku.
Intensely curious about the West in 1875 at the age of 16 he studied English and at the age of 21
wanted to become an American citizen. A veritable polymath in 1893 when he retired he took the
pseudonym Bonun An Kangetsu and underwent a Christian baptism though
apparently this was not out of religious conviction but as a result of his contact with Western
culture. During his retirement he also studied evolution and socialism, other ethnicities and the
world of ancient Egypt. It is said that he inspired Natsumi Ssekis use of the name Mizushima
Kangestu () in his novel I am a Cat (Avalon Coldmoon in the English translation) though a
more likely alternative explanation is that the character was based on the Physicist Torahido Terida (
). In 1923 he published a book called () Bonun An
Manroku (Random Comments from the Buddhist Cloud Retreat) about the history of Japan during
the Edo era. He was influential in championing Ihara Saikaku (), whose books he
collected, as a prominent figure in Japanese literature resulting in a revival of Saikakus works and
introduced the works of Kda Rohan ( ) and Ozaki Ky ( ) to the attention of
literary world of Japan.
Awashima Kangetsu publications (Japanese)
http://www.aozora.gr.jp/index_pages/person388.html
* Japan adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1872
Photographic images published before December 31st 1956, or photographed before 1946, under
the jurisdiction of the Government of Japan are considered to be public domain according to article
23 of old copyright law of Japan and article 2 of supplemental provision of copyright law of Japan.