The Former Residence of Theodora Ozaki was built in 1888 (Meiji 21) in Roppongi, Minato-ku, by Baron Saburo Ozaki (1842-1918) for his daughter, Yei Theodora Ozaki (1870-1932), who was born in London as the eldest daughter of Saburo Ozaki and Bathia Morrison (1843-1936) and came to Japan from the United Kingdom. Yei Theodora later became the second wife of Yukio Ozaki (1858-1954), who was known as the “god of constitutional government” and the “father of parliamentary politics.” Yukio Ozaki served as the Minister of Education and Minister of Justice in the Okuma Cabinet and was also the Mayor of Tokyo. Yei Teodora contributed to cultural understanding, international goodwill, and private diplomacy by translating and publishing Japanese poetry and folktales into English and assisting with Yukio Ozaki’s donation of cherry trees to the United States. Later, the Western-style house was passed on to Tetsuzo Okada (1869-1945), a scholar of English literature and a friend of the Ozaki family, who relocated it to its current location in 1933 (Showa 8). The architectural style is based on the colonial style known as weatherboard colonial, which was introduced to Japan in the late 19th century. The light blue, two-story wooden structure remains a striking presence in the residential area even today.

The historic Western-style house, which survived the Great Kanto Earthquake and the ravages of war in the Showa Era (1926-1989), was sold along with the land for the construction of residential homes and was scheduled for demolition in June 2020. Learning of this, manga artist Kazumi Yamashita, known for works such as Tensai Yanagisawa Kyoju no Seikatsu (The life of genius professor Yanagisawa) and A Wonder Boy, spearheaded a campaign to preserve the house, including a petition drive. She established the General Incorporated Association The Former Ozaki Residence Preservation Project (Representative directors: Kazumi Yamashita, Nami Sasou), which purchased the land and building, thereby protecting it from demolition.

The first floor features a café lounge where visitors can enjoy afternoon tea, and a shop that sells goods related to the exhibitions as well as original items from the residence. The second floor houses a gallery that mainly exhibits original manga artwork. Otobe says, “The Former Residence of Theodora Ozaki offers three elements: architecture, exhibitions, and food, allowing visitors to enjoy the facility from different perspectives. You can savor cakes, scones, and other specialty sweets and teas prepared by our dedicated pastry chef, then view exhibitions by renowned manga artists, and finally, appreciate the architectural details. This is the kind of experience we offer.”

The gallery is furnished with charming fixtures transferred from the Nurie Museum in Arakawa-ku, which closed in 2022, allowing visitors to view the artworks by pulling out drawers. Depending on the exhibition, original artwork may also be available for purchase. The shop sells items, sometimes inspired by ideas from the manga artists themselves.
Exhibition planning is carried out by directors Ms. Yamashita and Ms. Sasou, along with staff members who are manga enthusiasts. A distinctive feature of the gallery is that it is actively operated by the manga artists themselves.

Japanese original text: Kyo Yoshida
Translation: Kae Shigeno
Photo: Norihisa Kushibiki (excluding those with credit lines)