The forest of after Downton Abbey: Oiso Joyama Park of Kanagawa Prefecture 神奈川県立大磯城山公園

Let’s go to the hill-side of Oiso Joyama Park. Leaving the Yoshida Residence, in front of us on Route #1 is a traffic light named “Joyama Koen Mae 城山公園前”. We cross it, then, on our right, there is a hill covered by forest. This is the Former Mitsui Estate of Joyama Park, another remnants of a mansion. Mitsui is one of the richest, and oldest business families of Japan. They started their business in the 16^th century and, still, they have strong ties with corporations of TOPIX 100, et al. Until Japan lost the World War II, and the GHQ for the Allied Forces ordered them to dismantle their kingdom, Mitsui Family really owned Mitsui Conglomerate with tremendous wealth, and unspoken power to the Japanese ruling class. Oiso Mitsui Estate was the property of Aburakojikita-ke Family 油小路北家 of Mitsui (in abbreviation, Kita-ke 北家), that was the leader of Mitsui Group since the 17^th Century. Needless to say, they were RICH. In 1898, the 10^th head of Kita-ke, Takamine Mitsui 三井高棟 bought Oiso property that was the largest in the celebrity world of pre-war Oiso Town. Accordingly, hill-side forest of Joyama Park is the largest among the series of ocean side parks we visit in this series.

The decoration that adorned
 the hallway of Mitsui mansion in Oiso.
 It’s now in Oiso Municipal Museum.

Takamine Mitsui was a kind of a central figure for Japanese “Society” during the first half of the 20^th century. In 1922, he even welcomed Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) at his private Roppongi 六本木 mansion. He certainly entertained Emperor Taisho in his Oiso Estate. Until the Mitsui Conglomerate was disassembled, Takamine Mitsui built numerous structures in his Oiso estate. Many of them were built with materials gathered from historical temples and shrines that were demolished during the late 19^th century under the fever for “industrialization in western style.” We can see how those architecture were in Oiso from this web page. He even moved several entire structures from Kyoto and Nara to Oiso. One of them is now a national treasure, a tea arbor named Joan 如庵 built in 1618 for Ken’ninji Temple 建仁寺 of Kyoto by Tea Master Oda Yurakusai 織田有楽斎, the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga 織田信長. It was first moved from Kyoto in 1908 to Mitsui mansion in Roppongi, then in 1938 Takamine Mitsui transferred it to Oiso, a clever move in hindsight. Their Roppongi property was burned down completely by carpet bombings by the Americans during the World War II. In 1933, Takamine handed over the business matters to his son, Takakimi 三井高公, and retired in Oiso. He died here in 1948, after the Mitsui conglomerate was dismantled by General Douglas MacArthur. The life of the 10^th Head for Kita-ke in Oiso was for art. To his Oiso estate, Takamine invited Master Eiraku 永楽 from Kyoto to establish a pottery kiln for gorgeous Kyo-ware 京焼. With their huge wealth gone, so did the architectures in Oiso. After 1945, those structures moved from Kyoto or Nara to Oiso were moved again by the new owners, this time not private family but joint stock companies. Joan was bought by Meitetsu 名鉄, and now stands in one of their properties in Inuyama City 犬山市, Aichi Prefecture 愛知県 ... We can observe only foundations of these grandeur constructions in Joyama Park.

The point where once Joan stood.
 Takamine Mitsui invited friends
 to have tea ceremonies here.

The highest altitude point of Joyama Park
 where the main house of Mitsui mansion had its tower.
 The huge structure as a mansion covered
 all the slopes we can see here.

Even though, just walking inside the well-paved Mitsui-potion of Joyama Park, we can feel their grandeur and opulence. (The map of the Park is here.) In ordinary forests of Kanagawa Prefecture of this size, we don’t fail to find an afforested area with coniferous trees. Until the 1960s, such forests were marketable for timber. In Former Mitsui Residence of Oiso, there is none of such mundane things. Mitsui family did not need it. The place was only for the pleasure of Takamine Mitsui. Majority of vegetation is now in advanced maturity. The tall trees are strategically positioned, maybe in yesteryears matched with the now-disappeared architectures. They change their feature from season to season for the eyes of the owner. From the area of the highest altitude for the park, where the Mitsui mansion stood, we can admire the Pacific Ocean and mountains, Mt. Hakone, Mt. Fuji, et al under complete open sky. This is a gorgeous place to live exclusively. I imagined how Mr. Mitsui strolled in his forest of such “naturally” looking broad-leaved and coniferous trees ...

The view from the view point
 where once Mitsui mansion stood.
 When I’ve been there in February,
 the weather was not that nice,
 but Mt. Fuji was still looked majestic.

The Park has networks of roads
 many of which are barrier-free.
 The admin office for Mitsui potion of the Park has
 free rental service for wheelchairs.

In the eastern potion of Mitsui area of the Park, there is archeological sites of the 6-7^th century and Oiso Municipal Museum. The Museum has a good collection explaining the history of Oiso Town from the pre-historic era to the 21^st century. Their English explanation is very friendly for overseas visitors. It’s a place worth a visit to learn Town’s special status in Japanese history. Their exhibit includes ethnological information of the community which has interesting traditional festivals. I will return to one of such rituals later in this series for Oiso’s forest. The festival is about the forest, I tell you. Anyway, before the festival things, we return to the beach front next week with a row of houses for former PMs. They must have been entertained by Mitsui Family in Joyama Park …

Oiso Municipal Museum

Oiso Joyama Park of Kanagawa Prefecture 大磯城山公園　管理事務所

551-1 Kokufuhongoh, Oiso-cho, Naka-gun, Kanagawa, 259-0111

〒259-0111 神奈川県大磯町国府本郷551-1

Phone: 0463-61-0355

Oiso Town Hall 大磯町役場

183 Higashikoiso, Oiso-cho, Naka-gun, Kanagawa, 255-8555

〒255-8555 神奈川県中郡大磯町東小磯183

Phone: 0463-61-4100

Fax: 0463-61-1991

http://www.town.oiso.kanagawa.jp/isotabi/index.html

http://www.town.oiso.kanagawa.jp/oisomuseum/index.html