Bansenso

The brothers Denzaburo Matsui (1870-1920) and Kunigoro (1875-1945) amassed a large fortune by running a trading company in Manila and a department store catering to Japanese immigrants. Bansenso was originally planned by Denzaburo to build a villa in his hometown of Ozu, and Kunigoro, who carried on Denzaburo's wishes, completed it in 1926. The residence is located on a hill overlooking the rich natural scenery of Garyu, Mt. Fuji, and Mt. Kameyama, which is said to be the most scenic spot in the Hijikawa River. In addition to using South Sea materials imported from Southeast Asia for building materials, the building also featured a balcony, which was rare for Japanese houses at the time, and a roof tile with the owner's initials ``K.M'' designed on it. The international characteristics typical of the owner can be seen everywhere. It was also called ``Bansenso'' because the water that seeped out from the bedrock on the back mountain was used.