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  • picture of F.W. Horn
  • Photograph of F.W. Horn, American trading merchant.
    The "father of the gramophone" in Japan.

    picture of F.W. Horn gramophone / History of Meiji-no-Yakata

  • Tangible Cultural Property as a valuable building
    In 2006 Meiji-no-Yakata was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property as a valuable building representing the Meiji era.
During the Meiji era (1868 – 1912), many foreigners residing in Japan often came up to visit Nikko, fascinated by the history, culture and its beautiful nature. F. W. Horn, the founder of Nippon Phonograph Corporation (predecessor of Nippon Columbia) which manufactured and sold electric gramophones and records for the first time in Japan and also known as the "father of the gramophone", was one of them.
The American style cottage he built in Nikko is a valuable modern legacy. Demanding only the best, the walls of this cottage were built using Nikko stones and a time consuming and labor intensive stone masonry technique.
When Aoi Shigemitsu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, lost his house during the Great Tokyo Air Raid bombing, he was temporarily evacuated to this house and also left for the signing of the surrender treaty from this very house.
In 1977, this historically significant building was carefully renovated to a Western style restaurant, "Meiji-no-Yakata", while maintaining its modern legacy and in 2006, it was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property as a valuable building representing the Meiji era.
Shigemitsu Sanbai tsuzu daido. Itto gousu shizen.
*(Photo above) A personal note written by Aoi Shigemitsu upon returning from the signing of the surrender treaty. Li Tai-Po's Chinese poem. Displayed inside the Meii-no-yakata.
(Right panel) A phrase describing autumn in Nikko in 1945. "Sanbai tsuzu daido. Itto gousu shizen. (Three cups of sake take you to an enlightenment. Even more drinks for nature.)
(Left panel) "Yama wa yuki, sato wa nishiki, momiji kana."

A collection of gramophones and records from the early days displayed inside the Meiji-no-Yakata.

The first electric gramophone in Japan
The first electric gramophone in Japan made by F. W. Horn's Nippon Phonograph Co. (predecessor of Nippon Columbia).
Records
Records listened to using the gramophone at the time.
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