Yataro Iwasaki's Birthplace

Overview

Yataro Iwasaki's Birthplace, located in Inokuchi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, is the house where Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu during the Meiji period, was born. Built around 1795 by his great-grandfather, it's a thatched-roof single-story house with approximately 30 tsubo (about 100 square meters) of floor space. This valuable historical site, designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, offers a rare glimpse into daily life of that era. The house features a rock garden said to have been created by the young Yataro, depicting the Japanese archipelago, providing a glimpse into his aspirations for the future. Furthermore, the onigawara (decorative roof tiles) on the storehouses to the west and rear of the house bear the "three-tiered diamond" Iwasaki family crest, considered the prototype of the current Mitsubishi mark. Yataro Iwasaki is said to have been studious from a young age, with a particular interest in history and geography. The rock garden he created as a boy may represent his ambitions for the future. Near the birthplace is Hoshi Shrine, where it is said he prayed for success. Yataro Iwasaki's Birthplace is an indispensable location for understanding modern Japanese history. Why not take your time exploring the birthplace, imagining the era in which he lived and the path he forged?