『武相荘』白洲次郎・正子夫妻の旧白洲邸 へ / To "Former Shirasu Residence” of Mr. & Mrs. Shirasu, called “Buaiso"
■白洲次郎夫妻とは？
・1902~1985。昭和時代の実業家。明治35年2月17日生まれ。白洲退蔵の孫。戦前は日本食料工業などの役員を努めつとめ,戦後は首相吉田茂の側近として,終戦連絡事務局次長,初代貿易庁長官などを歴任。昭和26年サンフランシスコ講和会議全権委員顧問。東北電力,大沢商会の会長を務めた。
【格言など】戒名無用,葬儀不要(遺言)
・白洲雅子 は妻。昭和60年11月28日死去。83歳。兵庫県出身。ケンブリッジ大卒。
■『武相荘』町田市史跡
・町田市にある夫妻が暮らしていた邸宅が、今は町田市史跡となり、記念館・資料館として一般公開をしているので訪れてみました。東京からは、公共交通機関を使うと、小田急線・鶴川駅より徒歩で約15分～20分で住宅街の丘陵地にあります。
このユニークな邸宅の名前は、武蔵の国と相模の国境に位置すること、無愛想と言うのをかけ『武相荘』と名付けられたそうです。白洲夫妻は、戦争による食糧難に備え、1943年にこちらへ移り住み、農業に勤しみながら、貿易庁長官や実業家として活躍したようです。正子氏は、芸術文化への知識が豊富で、女性初で、能の舞台に立った人物として有名です。こちらの邸宅には、夫妻を慕って多くの文化人、政治家などの著名人が集ったそうです。
武相荘は、閑静な住宅街の小高い丘陵地にあり、比較的広い駐車場を通り、雑木林、庭園や竹林の山間にあります。自然に囲まれた茅葺き屋根の母屋では、四季ごとの展示会や、催し（骨董市、ミニコンサート、芸術文化に関する講話会など）が企画されています。母屋では、写真撮影が禁止なので、詳細は現地でなければ確認出来ませんが、夫妻の愛用品や、書斎（多岐分野に渡る蔵書）、収集した骨董品・古美術品等は、現在では古くて珍しく見所だと思います。
併設のショップでは、実用品から貴重な骨董品まで、武相荘ならではの貴重な品々を販売しています。隣棟にある元「工作室」の場所だった、レストランカフェでは、夫妻の人生の大半を過ごした家や、インテリア、食事スタイルの演出と共に、長女の方の助言での、白洲家の家庭料理を、このレストランのメニューに再現されたようです。
白洲氏の育った西洋風の環境や、英国ケンブリッジ大学での留学経験を通じた、当時としては、稀な欧米様式の身のこなしや、日本人離れした独自の価値観や思想を持ち、米国軍占領下であっても、自身の主張を通し、確固たる姿勢を見せる場面があったようです。武相荘の暮らしの中にも、様々な部分に独特の審美眼を感じ、日常の身の回りの品々にもそれら美意識や、価値観が垣間見られました。丁寧に整備された瓦葺屋根の母屋、伝統的な梁の大きい、囲炉裏や、縁側のある日本家屋、美しい竹林、赤や白の梅、赤、ピンク、燭紅の鮮やかな色の椿等がとても印象的でした。異なった季節に訪れると、時節の樹々、草花や風景また、企画展示会が楽しめると思います。
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To "Former Shirasu Residence” of Mr. & Mrs. Shirasu, called “Buaiso"
・Who are Jiro Shirasu and Masako Shirasu?
1902-1985. A businessman in the Showa period. Born on February 17, 1902. Grandson of Shirasu Taizo. Before the war, he served as an officer of Japan Shokuhin Kogyo and other companies. After the war, as a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, he successively served as deputy director of the post-war liaison office and the first director-general of the Foreign Trade Agency. Advisor to Plenipotentiary of the San Francisco Peace Conference in 1951.
He served as chairman of Tohoku Electric Power Co., Ltd. and Osawa Shokai Co., Ltd.
[Proverbs.] Posthumous name not required, funeral not required (will)
・Masako Shirasu is his wife. Died November 28, 1985. 83 years old. Born in Hyogo prefecture. Graduated from Cambridge University.
"Buaiso", Machida City Historic Site/ Tokyo
・The mansion in Machida City where the couple lived is now a historic site in Machida City and it is open to the public as a memorial and museum. I visited it from Tokyo. If you use public transportation, it is about 15 to 20 minutes on foot from Tsurukawa Station on the Odakyu Line, in a hilly residential area.The name of this unique mansion is said to have been named "Buaiso" because it is located on the border of Musashi and Sagam with Kanji character meaning of "Bu"="武” and one more ”Buaiso" means "unfriendly" in Japanese by Mr. Shirasu's sharp joke.
Mr. and Mrs. Shirasu moved here in 1943 to prepare for food shortages caused by the war and while working in agriculture, they were active as commissioners of the Trade Agency and as businessmen. Mrs. Shirasu has a wealth of knowledge about the arts and culture and she is famous for being the first woman to perform on a Noh stage. It is told that many celebrities such as intellectuals and politicians gathered at this mansion to respect the couple.
Buaiso is located on a small hill in a quiet residential area, passing through a relatively large parking lot and in the mountains of coppice, gardens and bamboo groves. In the thatched-roof main building surrounded by nature, seasonal exhibitions and events (antique market, mini-concerts, lectures on art and culture etc.) are always planned. Taking pictures is prohibited in the main building, so details cannot be confirmed unless you are on site. However, it's an old and rare sight that the couple's favorite items, the study (collection of books covering a wide variety of fields) and the antiques are hardly ever displayed.
The attached shop sells valuable items unique to Buaiso from practical items to valuable antiques. In the restaurant cafe, which used to be the place of the "workroom" in the adjacent building, the home where the couple spent most of their lives, the interior, the dining style, and the Shirasu family's home cooking with the advice of the eldest daughter seems to have been reproduced on the menu of this restaurant at the present time.
Mr. Shirasu grew up in a Western-style environment and studied abroad at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Even under the power of US army, it seems that he showed a firm stance through his own assertions. Even in the life of Buaiso, I felt a unique aesthetic sense in various parts and I could catch a glimpse of the sense of beauty and values in the items around them in everyday life. The carefully maintained main house with a tiled roof, traditional Japanese houses with large beams, hearths and porches, beautiful bamboo groves, red and white plum blossoms, red, pink, and red camellias are all very impressive. If we visit in different seasons, we will be able to enjoy seasonal trees, flowers and landscapes, as well as special exhibitions.
