Katayama Tōkuma
Katayama • Illustration — Katayama Tōkuma Katayama Tōkuma was a Japanese architect who designed the original buildings for the Imperial Nara Museum as well as the Kyoto Imperial Museum and was significant in introducing Western, particularly French architecture into Japan. Coming from Chōshū, Tōkuma was a protégé of Yamagata Aritomo. In 1879 he graduated from the Imperial College of Engineering.
Also recorded as Tōkuma Katayama · Katayama Tokuma · Katayama Toukuma · Tokuma Katayama
Katayama Tōkuma
![The first students of the old Kōbu Daigakkō photographed before their graduation ceremony to take place in November 1880. [a] This photograph was originally published in a book in 1931: edited by the Old Kōbu Daigakkō Record Editorial Group, Old Kōbu Daigakkō Records. Toranomonkai, 1932. doi: 10.11501/1464148. The publisher was founded by the alumni of Old Kōbu Daigakkō, those majored in archite](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/%E5%B7%A5%E9%83%A8%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1%E7%AC%AC1%E6%9C%9F%E5%8D%92%E6%A5%AD%E7%94%9F.jpg/1280px-%E5%B7%A5%E9%83%A8%E5%A4%A7%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1%E7%AC%AC1%E6%9C%9F%E5%8D%92%E6%A5%AD%E7%94%9F.jpg)
不詳（Photograph from the collection of Tatsuzō Sone aka ja:曽禰達蔵 所蔵） · 虎之門会 · Public domain
- Born
- 1854
- Died
- 1917
- Nationality
- Japan
- Occupation
- architect
- Known for
- Jingu Museum · Nara National Museum · Kyoto National Museum · Jinpūkaku · Akasaka Palace · Takanawa Kihinkan
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Katayama • Illustration — Katayama Tōkuma Katayama Tōkuma was a Japanese architect who designed the original buildings for the Imperial Nara Museum as well as the Kyoto Imperial Museum and was significant in introducing Western, particularly French architecture into Japan. Coming from Chōshū, Tōkuma was a protégé of Yamagata Aritomo. In 1879 he graduated from the Imperial College of Engineering.
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In this article
Buildings
Buildings
During his late twenties and early thirties he assisted Josiah Conder in designing and building a Western-style residence for Prince Arisugawa Taruhito and then on the new Imperial Palace in Tokyo. During the 1880 he was sent to Europe and America to study interior decoration, including furniture. In 1887 he was appointed as an officer in the construction office of the Imperial Household.
• 1894 Nara Imperial Museum, now the Nara National Museum • 1895 Kyoto Imperial Museum, now the Kyoto National Museum • 1905 Museum of Agriculture (神宮農業館), Ise, Mie Prefecture, (constructed (1891–1905) • 1909 Tōgu Palace, now Akasaka Palace (constructed 1899–1909)
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — Nara National Museum in Nara, Built in 1894 • Illustration — Kyoto National Museum in Kyōto, Built in 1895
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1854–1917
The full dated record · 7 entries
1854
Katayama Tōkuma was born in 1854.
1889
Nara National Museum is dated 1889.
1892
Seiyōkan is dated 1892.
1897
Kyoto National Museum is dated 1897.
1907
Jinpūkaku is dated 1907.
1911
Takanawa Kihinkan is dated 1911.
1917
Katayama Tōkuma died at Tokyo.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q898689: Katayama Tōkuma
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
authority file
- Getty Union List of Artist Names 500121406, Katayama Tōkuma.
General reference · The Getty Research Institute
reference work
- “Katayama Tōkuma”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q898689: Katayama TōkumaWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessauthority file
Getty Union List of Artist Names 500121406, Katayama Tōkuma.The Getty Research Institute
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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