Wakeijuku
Wakeijuku (和敬塾) literally meaning A Place to seek Harmony and Respect, is an all male dormitory located in the Mejirodai neighborhood in the Bunkyō ward of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1955 by Kisaku Mayekawa, philanthropist and founder of Mayekawa Manufacturing Company, Wakeijuku has been the home of students of Japanese universities for more than forty years, including nearby Waseda University.
Location
Wakeijuku is located on the spacious grounds of a former feudal lord's mansion, at a prestigious address in central Tokyo. Residents simultaneously have convenient access to such major centers of Tokyo as Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ginza, Shibuya, Takadanobaba, and Yurakucho, while living in a secluded natural setting with gardens and trees. The Wakeijuku grounds also have tennis, basketball, and soccer facilities, and the institution is less than a five minute walk from two public parks and the nearby Kanda River.
The dormitories
Wakeijuku is composed of five dormitories, namely East or Higashi (東 ), West or Nishi ( 西), North or Kita (北 ), South or Minami (南 ) and the newer Tatsumi (巽 ) which loosely translates as Southeast
The mansion
The most notable landmark on the Wakeijuku grounds is the old Hosokawa Marquis residence called “The Mansion”, built in 1936 by the 16th generation of the Hosokawa House. It is a representative of an official noble residence at the beginning of the Shōwa period. The external facade is based on a British Tudor style architectural design and the interior is a creative mixture of Japanese, Tudor and Saracen designs. In 1955, the entire Hosokawa residence including the Mansion was purchased to make way for the construction of the Wakeijuku dormitories. The Mansion was kept to preserve the cultural heritage and history of the area. Currently it serves as a venue for symposiums, concerts, plays, Wedding Banquets and art exhibits and serves also as a residence for guests of Wakeijuku. The mansion is also a tourist attraction and has been used as a location for Japanese film productions that require Shōwa era or European themed residences.
Trivia
Famous neighbors include former Foreign Minister of Japan Makiko Tanaka who lives next door. The house belonged to her father, former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.
Wakeijuku boasts of its roster of famous alumni which include four former Japanese Prime Ministers, and notable Japanese author Haruki Murakami.
Some Episodes of the famous Japanese Tokusastsu show Kamen Rider were filmed in and around the mansion.
Japanese Celebrities like Chiaki Kuriyama and SMAP have filmed their Japanese Television Dramas or Dorama as it is called in Japan here.