Rokumeikan
| Rokumeikan | |
|---|---|
Japanese pronunciation: [ɾo.kɯ.meꜜi.kaɴ, -meꜜː-] | |
The Rokumeikan around 1883–1900, Tokyo | |
| General information | |
| Type | Residence |
| Architectural style | French Renaissance |
| Location | Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo |
| Address | 1-1-7, Uchisaiwaicho |
| Country | Japan |
| Coordinates | 35°40′19″N 139°45′28″E / 35.67194694091169°N 139.75769752532517°E |
| Construction started | 1881 |
| Completed | 1883 |
| Inaugurated | 28 November 1883 |
| Demolished | 1941 |
| Cost | 40,000 yen |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Josiah Conder |
The Rokumeikan (鹿鳴館; Japanese pronunciation: [ɾo.kɯ.meꜜi.kaɴ, -meꜜː-]) was a large two-story building in Tokyo, completed in 1883, which became a controversial symbol of Westernisation in the Meiji period. Commissioned for the housing of foreign guests by the Foreign Minister Inoue Kaoru, it was designed by British architect Josiah Conder, a prominent Western adviser working in Japan.
Although the Rokumeikan's heyday was brief, it became famous for its parties and balls, which introduced many high-ranking Japanese to Western manners for the first time, and it is still a fixture in the cultural memory of Japan. It was, however, largely used for the accommodation of guests of the government, and for meetings between Japanese who had already lived abroad.