Late Japanese film director Yasujirō Ozu was a master at bringing the heart of Japanese life to the screen. His films – Late Spring (1949), Tokyo Story (1953), An Autumn Afternoon (1962) – were often reflections of his own life and daily surroundings. Now, visitors can step into his cinematic universe by staying in the filmmaker’s former home.
A stay at the house that inspired a master of Japanese cinema
Located north of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture – one of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations – the house sits in Kita-Kamakura, along the road leading to Jōchi-ji Temple. A tunnel carved into the mountainside, just wide enough for a person to pass through, leads to the other side of the hill. Following the road uphill, visitors arrive at the 100-year-old house where Ozu lived with his mother from 1952 until his death in 1963.
After Ozu’s passing, the Ogura family – the landowners who lived at the foot of the hill and had been neighbours of the director – inherited the property. Wanting to allow the public to experience Ozu’s world, the family preserved many of the original fittings and renovated the house while retaining as much of its atmosphere as possible. In June, they registered the property on Airbnb as a guesthouse where visitors can stay overnight.
Set on a sloping plot of approximately 900 square metres, the property comprises a 120-square-metre main house built from hinoki cypress and cedar, topped by a curved tiled roof, alongside an 80-square-metre annex. Both structures are elevated on stone footings and constructed using traditional Japanese carpentry techniques. The renovation was carried out by a carpenter specialising in the restoration of temples and shrines in the neighbouring Kamakura area.
Upon opening the sliding entrance door, guests are immediately greeted by a tatami-mat tea room – an arrangement rarely found in traditional Japanese houses. Typically, an entrance opens into a foyer, leading towards the living room where the family spends most of its time, while the tea room is usually located in the deepest part of the house.
‘It seems that Ozu, as a film director, enjoyed welcoming many colleagues and guests to this house, first offering them tea as a gesture of hospitality,’ says Yoshiki Ogura of Hinomoto Japan, the company responsible for managing the Ozu Residence. The tea room functioned almost like an antechamber.
Beyond it, a cedar-clad wooden walkway runs like a cloister around the living room. This was the space where Ozu spent most of his time. Typical of traditional Japanese houses, the structure relies on a framework of columns and beams rather than solid exterior walls and is enclosed by sliding glass doors. With its generous openings, the living room enjoys sweeping views of the surrounding mountain ridges.
‘Ozu used to work on his films here while gazing at the scenery outside,’ says Ogura. It is said that he often opened the glass doors and spent time relaxing with his mother on the veranda, enjoying the view.
The plastered walls and many other finishes remain from the original period. While the tatami mats and shoji screens had deteriorated significantly and required replacement by craftsmen from Kamakura, much of the house retains its original character. The sofa and zelkova wood table in the living room are contemporary pieces crafted by Hinomoto Japan.
A wooden-floored corridor winds around the living room, revealing thoughtful details such as a small window in the partition wall that offers glimpses into the central space. The main house is organised around the living room, with two bedrooms – renovated to suit modern standards of comfort while retaining their original functions – alongside a kitchen, bathroom and toilet. This arrangement allows guests to experience the house much as Ozu once did.
The kitchen has been fitted with modern cooking equipment and updated to accommodate a wide range of culinary needs. Guests can either prepare meals themselves using local ingredients or arrange for a private chef to cook on the premises.
Traces of traditional Japanese architectural design remain throughout, including shitajii-mado – slatted windows commonly found in tea rooms that allow soft light to enter – and lantern-like pendant lights suspended beneath the eaves. Ozu was known for insisting on authenticity in his films, from the tableware and furniture to the paintings on the walls. Even the tonkatsu featured in his films was reportedly sourced from his favourite restaurant in Tokyo. As a result, his home reflected his personal tastes. He occasionally used vases and tableware from the house as props, and some of these objects still remain today.
Meanwhile, a new open-air rotenburo bath made entirely of cypress has been built on a slight rise a short distance from the main house, accessible via a series of stepping stones. Opening the sliding doors reveals panoramic mountain views. Surrounded by forest, with only the Ogura family living below, guests can leave the doors open at night and gaze at the moon while soaking in the bath.
With squirrels and other wildlife as neighbours, the property offers a rare sense of immersion in nature. It is a special place where visitors can feel as though they have stepped back in time to the era when Ozu himself lived here.