is a park in

Meguro, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporate ...

, Japan located adjacent to the University of Tokyo, Komaba Campus.

History

The land was the site of the Komaba Agricultural College in the Meiji Era and then the location of the

Tokyo Imperial University , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

Faculty of Agriculture. When the

moved to its current location in Hongo, a land exchange was made with Maeda Family properties in Bunkyo, leading to the construction in 1929 of the landmark Tudor style residence for the 16th Marquis,

Toshinari Maeda , was a Japanese general and the first commander of the Japanese forces in northern Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan, and North Borneo) in World War II. Biography Maeda Toshinari was born the fifth son of the former ''daimyō'' of Nanokaichi Doma ...

. Designed by architect Yasushi Tsukamoto, the western style residence was built of steel reinforced concrete to withstand earthquakes and served as the Marquis' family main residence. A Japanese style garden annex was added in 1930 to provide accommodation and entertainment space for the many overseas visitors; the Marquis served from 26 July 1927 to 1 August 1930 as military attaché to Great Britain.Japanese Ministry of Culture circular issue 129, 2013 August edition Requisitioned by SCAP from the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

until 1957, the mansion served as the residence for General

Ennis Whitehead Ennis Clement Whitehead (September 3, 1895 – October 12, 1964) was an early United States Army aviator and a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II. Whitehead joined the U. S. Army after the United States entered World War I ...

, commander of the

5th Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organizat ...

, and later General Matthew Bunker Ridgway. The grounds of the park also contain the

Museum of Modern Japanese Literature A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

Gallery

File:Building internal 01.JPG, Maeda Family Residence, first floor large reception room. File:Building internal 02.JPG, Maeda Family Residence, second floor master suite. File:Building internal 03.JPG, Japanese style garden annex, first floor guest room. File:Garden 01.JPG, Japanese style garden annex, garden moat. File:Toshinari Maeda 01.jpg, The 16th Marquis,

(1885-1942)

References

{{reflist Parks and gardens in Tokyo Meguro