Bonus: Historical Buildings of Koiwai Farm

In October of this year, it was decided that the Koiwai Farm Club, designed by the Maintenance Section of the Estates Department of Mitsubishi Limited Partnership Company, the predecessor of our company, would be designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. In this issue, we will introduce the historical buildings of Koiwai Farm along with old drawings of the club.

Koiwai Farm's Historic Buildings and the "Club"

Koiwai Farm opened in 1891 (Meiji 24). Its name, "Koiwai," comes from the initials of the three co-founders who dreamed of pioneering a modern farm: Ono Gishin (Vice President of the Japan Railway Company), Iwasaki Yanosuke (President of Mitsubishi), and Inoue Masaru (Director General of the Japan Railway Bureau). Located at the foot of Mount Iwate, the land was once a barren wilderness of volcanic ash soil. However, extensive development began, including soil improvement and the planting of windbreak and snowbreak forests. The plantations eventually expanded to cover two-thirds of the farm's land, and while protecting the farm, they also developed into a forestry business. Over a century of tireless effort, the barren wilderness was transformed into lush green land. Driving straight from Koiwai Station on the JR Tazawako Line along Prefectural Route 219 toward Mount Iwate, you'll come across a vast 3,000-hectare farm stretching from Shizukuishi Town to Takizawa City (the combined size of Chuo Ward and Minato City). Along this road are the main Koiwai Agricultural facilities. This year, 21 of the buildings, dating from the late Meiji period to the early Showa period, were designated as Important Cultural Properties by the national government. Most of the buildings are still in use today, including barns, warehouses, and offices. The headquarters area includes the "Club," designed and constructed in 1914 (Taisho 3). This single-story wooden building with a hipped roof and clapboard facade was built to accommodate guests, accommodate overnight stays, and host employee meetings. Originally constructed in 1899 (Meiji 32), the building was relocated to its current location in 1914 and extensively renovated and expanded. After that, a major renovation was carried out again in 1927 (Showa 2), and now it is mainly used as a conference room.

Our old drawings of Koiwai Farm

Of the 21 buildings in the Koiwai Farm complex, which has been designated an Important Cultural Property, it was known that the cowshed and four-story storehouse were designed by Tozawa Jintaro (Tozawa Group) of Morioka and others, but the designer of the "club" was unknown. When we looked into the old drawings managed by our company this time, we found that there were 15 drawings related to the club among those related to Koiwai Farm. Among them were drawings titled "Koiwai Farm Club Relocation and Renovation Design Drawings" and "Koiwai Farm Club Relocation and Expansion Design Plans" created in 1914 (Taisho 3), which are believed to be the designs for the current club when it was relocated and expanded. Although the designer's seal could not be found on the drawings, the date of creation and the characteristics of the drawing frame suggest that they were designed by Tsuda Saku, who was a member of the Mitsubishi Limited Partnership Company's Land Department Maintenance Section from 1908 to 1920. Tsuda Saku was an engineer active during the time of Chief Engineer Yasuoka Katsuya (1900-1912), and after going independent, he also designed the Iwasaki Family Suehiro Villa (1927, Nationally Registered Cultural Property). The 15 remaining club drawings consist of two floor plans, seven detailed drawings, and six detailed drafts. Comparing the detailed drawings (drawings: Koiwai Farm Club blueprints) with the interior photographs borrowed from Koiwai Farm, the shapes of the waist-high walls and ceilings, which are characteristic of the interior, match the drawings. By comparing the drawings in our possession with the current building, we will be able to confirm the location of the interior facade parts at the time of the relocation, expansion, and renovation completed in 1914.