A Prologue to the Future, Woven from the History of the Former Asaka Palace

The former Asaka Palace was completed in 1933 and served as the residence of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, uncle to Empress Kōjun, until his renunciation of imperial status in 1947. Captivated by the Art Deco style, then at its zenith in France, Prince and Princess Asaka commissioned French artist Henri Rapin to design the main rooms, actively incorporating the essence of Art Deco. Subsequently, it was used as a state guest house and official residence before being sold to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1981 and opened to the public as one of its art museums.

"Welcome to the Garden Museum" is a reader published to commemorate the museum's reopening. It contains stories about the former Asaka Palace, each captured from a unique perspective by six individuals: novelist Mariko Asabuki, confectionery researcher Rika Fukuda, writer and manga artist Erika Kobayashi, manga artist Yoriko Hoshi, sound artist mamoru, and composer Kentaro Abe.

This volume offers a chance to connect with its history and feel the new future of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum.

Authors | Mariko Asabuki, Rika Fukuda, Erika Kobayashi, Yoriko Hoshi, mamoru, Kentaro Abe
Publisher | Kawade Shobo Shinsha
Specifications | 46-size, 112 pages
Release Date | November 27 (Thursday)
Price | ¥1,944