意大利驻东京大使官邸丨日本东京

In Mita, Tokyo, the charming house of the Italian Ambassador is a timeless museum. Emblem of the cultural bridge between two countries, the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in Tokyo has been the subject of a careful philological restoration supervised directly by Gianluigi Benedetti.

In the heart of Mita, one of the most elegant neighborhoods in Tokyo, stands an icon of style and culture that blends past and present. It is the Residence of the Ambassador of Italy, designed and built in the 1960s by architects Pierfrancesco Borghese and Masachika Murata, with a style that interprets Italian taste while respecting the aesthetics and canons of traditional Japanese houses.

Its history is unique among all the Italian diplomatic offices: the Residenza is in fact located in a garden of great historical and cultural value that belonged to a Japanese feudal family from the Edo period (17th century). And it was built on the remains of the villa of a Japanese Prime Minister, Masayoshi Matsukata, built in 1905 to a design by Josiah Conder, home to the Italian Embassy since 1930 and destroyed during the bombings of Tokyo in the spring of 1945.

The entrance of the residence leading to the reception rooms.

What makes the interior of the building unique is the visionary idea of ​​Chiara Briganti, an art and design curator, who in 1963 accepted the challenge of furnishing the Residence, mixing archaeology, Renaissance craftsmanship and contemporary art in a timeless balance.

The result is a space that welcomes visitors in an atmosphere of extraordinary Italian refinement and Japanese essentiality.

The furnishings are a journey through the history of Italian craftsmanship.

At the entrance, visitors find a 16th-century Abruzzo chest of drawers, a 13th-century Venetian wellhead in Istrian stone and a 17th-century refectory table.

A view of the hall with the bronze wall made specifically for the space by Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Italian masterpieces with a view (of the Japanese garden)

In the large dining room, which with its large windows offers a magnificent view of the traditional Japanese garden, stands out a table made by Chiara Briganti using a 17th - century wooden top and marble bases, while on one side we find a splendid Tuscan sideboard from the 16th century that is a good five meters long. In the background, a collection of polychrome Faenza tiles from the 15th century is on display in a recessed display case. These and other antique masterpieces are accompanied by the extraordinary collection of informal abstract works of art signed by some of the greatest Italian masters of the 20th century.

An exterior view of the building that hosts the Embassy of Italy in Tokyo, in dialogue with the historic traditional Japanese garden. The 1960s architecture was designed by Pierfrancesco Borghese and Masachika Murata, while the interior design of that period was by Chiara Briganti.

A custom - made wall by Arnaldo Pomodoro

Among these, the bronze wall made specifically by Arnaldo Pomodoro stands out to surmount the sofas overlooking the garden.

Going down towards the reception rooms, we find the canvases by Castellani, Maselli and Dorazio, two works by Burri and the spatial concept The end of God by Fontana.

Works by Novelli, Turcato and Marotta embellish the main hall, with double height, dominated by a majestic fireplace decorated with a sculpture by Giò Pomodoro and the large window wall that frames the Tokyo Tower.

The Salone del Lago which overlooks with large windows directly onto the garden pond is the focal point of the Residence.

The passage from the entrance towards the reception halls is enhanced by a collection of artworks by the Italian masters of the 1900s: here Piero Dorazio (left) and Lucio Fontana (right).

Nature all around

Looking outside you are surrounded by nature: you can see a traditional lacquer red bridge, damask carp darting in the water and the bright colors of the garden vegetation that change with the season.

The living room, with its spectacular travertine and wood floor, is furnished with green fabric sofas arranged in a double horseshoe, coffee tables and lamps with white marble tops and bases, also part of the works commissioned by Chiara Briganti specifically for the Residence.

The original sofas have unfortunately been lost, but thanks to the craftsmanship and advanced technologies of the Italian company UniFor it was possible to create perfect replicas, based on a single photograph recovered from a historic album.

The Salone del Lago, the focal point of the residence, with large windows facing the garden. Note the spectacular flooring in travertine and wood, and the sofas covered in green fabric, perfectly replicating the originals, produced by UniFor based on a photograph recovered from an old album.

Enhancement through a recovery intervention

This and other recovery and restoration interventions were at the center of a massive project to enhance the furnishings and spaces that restored the original layout and image of the Residence and allowed, for the first time in November 2024, the opening of the garden to the public with guided tours.

The rooms of the Residence, rich in details and symbolism, represent not only the best of Italian tradition and design, but also a cultural bridge and a symbol of the deep friendship between Italy and Japan.

Today the Residence, in addition to being a place of diplomatic representation, is configured as a true ‘museum’ house: a rare example of 1960s architecture and furnishings that has survived in the urban and modern fabric of Tokyo.

A view of the main two-story hall dominated by a majestic fireplace inserted in a texturized wooden wall. Hoff sofas by Giuseppe Chigiotti for Driade. A sculpture by Gino Marotta.