Start your tour by taking in a house designed by Kunio Mayekawa, who worked under Le Corbusier and Antonin Raymond, and contributed to the development of modern architecture in Japan. Built during the Second World War, Mayekawa’s sophisticated design was influenced by world-renowned architects and still attracts many visitors.

Move on to a house designed by the architect Sutemi Horiguchi, who introduced Dutch architecture for the first time to Japan. Built in 1925, just after Horiguchi returned from a trip to Europe, Art Deco style and De Stijl (The Style) compositions are also seen in the traditional Japanese rooms. See the luxurious interior decoration in the residence of the Mitsui family, said to be one of the richest families in Japan.

The latter half of the tour can be enjoyed especially by Studio Ghibli film fans. We will walk through “Shitamachi”, East Tokyo area, lined with buildings that look like they could appear in one of those animations. Enjoy the beautiful traditional bathhouse and old train which used to run through Tokyo.

Please note that the tour is an architectural tour of the Tokyo Edo Open Air Architectural Museum. The tour does not go to the Ghibli Museum.