Friends of the Japanese House and Garden
Description of Organization and its Mission
Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, is one of Philadelphia’s most interesting cultural
assets, providing an oasis of beauty and peace in today’s stressful, overscheduled society.
(Shofuso means “pine breeze villa"). The building, located today in Philadelphia’s Fairmount
Park, was presented by the people of Japan to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
It was moved to its current location in 1957. The elegant building is an excellent example of
17th century Japanese architecture. The garden, landscaped in the traditional Japanese
manner, recalls the mountains, streams, and forests of Japan. Shofuso is a work of
architecture that lives on as a tangible symbol of the friendship between the United States
and Japan - a masterful, modern interpretation of Japanese architectural tradition and a
monument to the site's historical character.
Shofuso is governed and run by the Friends of the Japanese House and Garden, a nonprofit,
501(c)(3) organization. The mission of the Friends is “to preserve, restore, and maintain
Shofuso, Japanese House and Garden, as a professionally run, financially secure resource
where educational and cultural programs are made available to interpret and promote
intercultural understanding of traditional Japanese architecture, landscape, and culture.”
History
Shofuso was initially built for exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York
for display in 1954-55, to show American citizens the essence of Japanese culture. John D.
Rockefeller III (1906-78), whose renowned family helped found and continue today to
support the Museum, visited Japan in 1950 and requested help building a Japanese house at
MoMA. The Japanese business community agreed it would be a gift from the people of
Japan to America in appreciation of the US’s efforts to rebuild Japan after the devastation of
World War II. The America Japan Society assumed responsibility for fundraising.
The House was designed after the 17th century Japanese architecture style Shoin-zukuri
(writing hall) - a simple yet elegant style that was used by the emerging ruling class of
samurai warriors. Junzo Yoshimura (1908-1997), who was experienced in traditional
Japanese architecture, was elected architect of the house. The construction was directed by
the master carpenter Heizamon Itoh the 11th, a descendant of a family famous for its great
skill in building traditional Japanese architecture. The House was assembled in Nagoya,
Japan, then disassembled and shipped to MoMA in 1954. Two Japanese carpenters and a
plasterer built Shofuso in the courtyard of MoMA with the help of Hawaii born carpenters.
the garden, representing a 17th century "pond and strolling path" style garden, was
designed and supervised by the 6th generation architect Tansai Sano, worked for
generations maintaining the Ryoan-Ji temple in Kyoto, which is famous for its rock garden.
After a two year exhibit at MoMA attracting a quarter of a million in attendance, the City of
Philadelphia successfully bid for relocation of the House to Fairmount Park. The House was
again dismantled, each piece carefully numbered, and rebuilt at the current site under the
supervision of Japanese carpenters. The grounds on which the House now stands has had a
Japanese structure and landscaping almost continuously since the nation’s 1876 Centennial
Exposition, when a Japanese Bazaar and garden were in the area. Later, on the site where
Shofuso now stands, a Japanese Temple gate was installed. This gate had been built in
Japan in the early 1500s, and brought to the US for the 1904 St. Louis Exposition and was
purchased by two Philadelphians who appreciated its beauty. The gate, installed on the site
in Fairmount Park in 1905, was subsequently destroyed by fire in 1955. At that time,
interested residents of the Philadelphia region and beyond sought to find another suitable
Japanese structure for the site, resulting in Shofuso’s being rebuilt on the location of the
destroyed Temple gate.
Due to lack of proper maintenance and vandalism, the House regrettably fell into disrepair
after relocation to Fairmount Park. The interior of the House was damaged by vandals and
the garden became overgrown. By the mid-1970’s, the House was no longer attracting
visitors. In 1976, at the time of nation’s Bicentennial celebration, the City of Philadelphia
requested that Japan undertake renovation of the House for the visitors to the Bicentennial.
The America Japan Society again rose to the occasion and spearheaded the fundraising of
about $1.0 million from more than 700 Japanese private companies and fraternal
organizations.
With these funds, a cadre of skilled artisans was brought to Philadelphia from Japan to
complete the restoration of the House to its original condition. Gardener, Ken Nakajima of
Tokyo supervised restoration of the garden. Prior to the opening ceremony of the House,
the president of the America-Japan Society, Nobusuke Kishi (former prime minister of
Japan) wrote a letter to Frank Rizzo, then mayor of Philadelphia, requesting his assurance
that the City of Philadelphia will take full responsibility for future maintenance of the
House. The mayor responded with a letter promising the city’s commitment for proper
maintenance. However, Fairmount Park, the largest park system in the US, did not have a
sufficient budget to properly maintain the House. As a result, the non-profit organization,
Friends of the Japanese House and Garden (FJHG) was formed in 1982 .The membership
consisted of and continues as citizens of the greater Philadelphia area who have a keen
interest in Japanese art and culture.
In 1999, the roof of the House was replaced. The roof material is the bark of Hinoki cypress
trees imported from Japan, and skilled workers were brought to Philadelphia from Japan to
work in residence for several weeks. For this project, Friends of the Japanese House and
Garden worked together to raise approximately $1.5 million from individual, corporate, and
foundation friends in the United States and Japan, including a substantial grant of $330
thousand from the City of Philadelphia. This successful project reflected not only the care
and concern the FJHG has for the building, but their commitment to preserving the building
in optimum shape using the most appropriate techniques and materials. As a result,
Shofuso remains historically correct and intact.
In 2010, the FJHG is embarking on a capital campaign to fund a restoration of that 1999
roof. The expected life of this type of roof in Japan is 30-35 years, but in the harsh
Philadelphia climate, the hinoki bark roof's expected total life is only 20-25 years, leaving
only another 10-15 years of protection. Roofing specialists from Japan evaluated our roof
and recommended a program of preventive conservation. If a partial renovation is
performed every 5 years, the remaining life in the roof can be extended to 25-30 years.
FJHG plans to raise $100,000 to fund this preventive conservation work to ensure the longterm preservation of the element most integral to the structure's survival: the roof.
The Building and Gardens
Shofuso is an authentic replication of the 17th century Shoin-zukuri (writing hall) style of
architecture that will built using materials and techniques identical to those used 400 years
ago. As such, this is the only authentic Shoin-zukuri architecture that exists outside of Japan.
The House was designed in the form of a raised platform with a roof supported by pillars.
No structural nails were used. The floors are covered with thick reed mats called tatami,
and the roof is composed of layer upon layer of Hinoki bark. Removable wood and paper
screens form most of the exterior walls, providing a flexible floor plan and abundant views
of the garden. In addition to the shoin rooms (approximately 2,000 square feet), the house
features a traditional kitchen with wood and dirt floors, a wood-fired cooking stove, and a
traditional cabinet. A wooden corridor connects the main building to the teahouse complex.
The teahouse is only four and one-half mats in size (approximately 9 square feet), and forms
an intimate space for serving ceremonial tea to three to five guests. A small preparation
room adjoins it along with a replica of a traditional Japanese wooden bath and nonfunctional toilet facilities.
The ambiance of airy spaciousness is enhanced by the fragrance of the hinoki wood and
tatami. Elegant yet simple, the shoin is grand but human in scale, and built for a land of
earthquakes and hot, humid summers. To sustain the elegance of the House, a significant
amount of maintenance is needed to protect it from natural degradation. The exterior
wood has no protective coat of paint and deteriorates with age. The plaster walls need to
be refurbished periodically. The tatami mats wear out and have to be replaced every 20-30
years. Papers on the sliding doors also must be replaced regularly.
The garden of Shofuso was originally designed to incorporate existing landscape elements
into a 17th century styled garden by Sano Tansai, a 6th generation garden architect. The
area is bordered by a high wall topped with ceramic tiles. Piercing the wall is a wooden
gate, which opens onto a formal walkway leading visitors to the main entrance of the
house. Visitors are encouraged to stroll on flat stepping stone pathways to the pond, which
is located in the center of the garden. A wooden bridge connects to the island in the center
of the pond. Some 250 of the rocks decorating the garden were imported from Japan. In the
pond reside dozens of koi, brightly colored "golden carp" trained to come toward the house
for feeding.
Unlike western gardens of the Old World, the plants in a Japanese garden must be carefully
and continually manicured to maintain a delicate balance with the open space. Some of the
plants have grown too large with time and must be replaced to restore the original
ambiance. The accumulation of silt has made the pond significantly shallower and has
altered the outline of the pond. The center island has sunk and a number of rocks have
submerged. Friends of the Japanese House and Garden is committed to the upkeep of
Shofuso’s structure and grounds, and will soon launch a campaign for funds to help
overhaul these vital structural elements.
The Art
In April 2007, the Japanese House installed new sliding door (fusuma) murals created by the
revered contemporary Japanese artist, Hiroshi Senju. The murals replace those destroyed
by vandals in 1976, and appear on both the fusuma doors and in the tokonoma alcove of
the main room. The murals are a fusion of traditional Japan with the modern world. Senju
used the traditional nihon-ga painting style and technique to create a contemporary
masterpiece, and followed the Japanese tradition of placing such work in Japanese temples
and civic buildings as a gift to all, but donated them to site in America. The first of their kind
in the United States, the installation of Hiroshi Senju's murals is yet another example of how
the Japanese House nurtures the relationship between the Japanese and American people.
General Operations
Shofuso is located in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the largest urban park system in the
nation. While the Park and the City of Philadelphia provide some support for Shofuso, such
as security, access to the site, and utilities, almost the entire budget of the house and
garden must come from other sources. To that end, in 1982 the Friends of the Japanese
House and Garden was organized to preserve this unique facility and to establish and
implement public programs. Today, all members of the public, including school groups and
civic organizations, are invited to visit Shofuso, the Japanese House and Garden. Because
the house is open to the air, it is open only from May through October each year, Tuesdays
through Sundays, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm during the week and 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on
weekends. Admission fees are affordable: adults are charged $6 each, with a fee of $3.00
for reserved groups of 10 or more, seniors, and students. There is no admission charge for
children under age 3.
Approximately 15,000 people visit Shofuso annually during its 6 months of operation.
Many of these visitors are school children. For many visitors, Shofuso is as close as they will
ever be to a foreign country. Their experience here gives them a first hand opportunity to
learn what life is like in a non-western country. Houses in Europe are similar to those in the
US. Houses in Asia and Africa are not. FJHG believes an understanding these cultural
differences promotes intercultural tolerance.
Six membership levels are offered in order to encourage continued support and
involvement with Shofuso. Memberships include Individual ($40), Senior and Student ($30),
Household ($75), Guardian ($125), Ambassador ($500), Shofuso Society ($1000), and
Institutional Membership ($1000). Shofuso provides different membership benefits at each
level such as free admissions, members-only evening hours, discount on gift shop
purchases, and reduced admission to classes, activities and special events. Shofuso has
approximately 175 members.
Each year, Shofuso offers a broad range of events that are directly related to its mission.
These included 25 diverse events such as an origami workshop, participation in Fairmount
Park’s Cherry Blossom Festival, Children’s Day festival, workshops on Japanese Gardening,
musical and lively arts performances and regular tea ceremonies.
The Friends of the Japanese House and Garden provides leadership, programs, and support
for Shofuso. The Friends are governed by a Board of Trustees, consisting of 18 members of
the larger community who have a strong personal interest in ensuring that Shofuso not only
continues, but thrives. The Board meets bimonthly, with committee or ad hoc meetings as
well as informal contacts among individual board members. The Friends of the Japanese
House and Garden has nonprofit status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.
The day-to-day operations of Shofuso are conducted by Kim Andrews, Shofuso’s Executive
Director. Ms. Andrews has the educational background, the professional strengths, and the
administrative experience necessary to succeed in this position, having been a consultant to
almost 50 museums, libraries, archives and historic sites in her previous position as
Preservation Services Officer at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts.
As Executive Director, Ms. Andrews has primary responsibility for developing, overseeing,
and evaluating programs at Shofuso; working with the Board of Trustees to implement
short- and long-term plans, including renovations and construction; and serving as the
“public face” of Shofuso to the larger public in the Philadelphia region and beyond. Ms.
Andrews is assisted in her work by a full-time program manager, who supervises the house
and its seasonal employees, coordinates volunteers and executes the special events. In
addition, the FJHG employ a full time seasonal gardener and three seasonal employees who
operate and maintain the site.