(236) Ministry of Finance Kanto Local Finance Bureau Yoga Housing 財務省関東財務局用賀住宅

From housing to park-land

This is the brief story of an old housing estate slated to become park land. The estate is 財務省関東財務局用賀住宅, “Ministry of Finance Kanto Local Finance Bureau Yoga Housing”, also known as 国家公務員合同宿舎用賀住宅 “National Civil Servant Joint quarters Yoga housing”. I’ll refer to this land as “Yoga Housing”, referring to the nearby Yoga 用賀 section of Setagaya ward (map).

For reference, here is the site in aerial photos from 1945/50, 1961/64, 1974/78 (by which time the apartments had been built), and 2016.

Yoga Housing has been unoccupied for several years, which I assume based on the condition of the buildings. Once the buildings are demolished the site will be turned into parkland that will merge with the neighboring Setagaya Ward Kamiyoga Park 世田谷区立上用賀公園, itself a new addition to the neighborhood (Kamiyoga Park was scheduled to open in Spring 2016).

In the following map, the Yoga Housing site is shaded in mustard/brown; the new Kamiyoga Park is in pink.

Plan for Kamiyoga Park in Setagaya.

(Map 1: source; Map 2: source; English annotations by Clark Parker) 

I haven’t visited this old danchi, but images on Google Streetview offer great views of this unique housing complex. Instead of numbers, the nearly-identical buildings are labeled with letters such as ‘RA’, ‘RB’, ‘RC’, etc.

Signs of decay are obvious but trees make the site more beautiful (and somewhat creepy).

A heavily-faded danchi map, labeled 用賀住宅案内図 “Yoga Housing Guide Map”.

A thick row of trees:

The portion of Kamiyoga Park opening in Spring 2016 has an interesting background. It used to be 衆議院速記者養成所 “House of Representatives Stenographer Training School”, which I believe was disbanded rather than relocated between 2004 and 2007. The school’s buildings can be seen in the aerial photos dating back to 1961/64 and are visible as recently as 2004.

Notes & Glossary

• 国家公務員, pronounced kokka komuin こっかこうむいん, means “National Civil Servant” or “government official”. It appears that this housing was for government official working for the Kanto Local Finance Bureau 財務省関東財務局 (Zaimusho Kanto Zaimukyoku)
• Alternate name of Yoga Housing: 国家公務員宿舎用賀住宅跡地 National Civil Servants Quarters Yoga Housing Site
• 衆議院速記者養成所跡地 House of Representatives Stenographer Training School Ruins
• 衆議院 = Shugiin しゅうぎいん (House of Representatives)
• 速記者 = Stenographer
• 養成所 = Training school
• 案内図 = guide map, location map, sightseeing map
• 跡地 = ruins, used place, remaining site

Links:

• Plan for Setagaya Ward Kamiyoga park 世田谷区立上用賀公園 (February 2016)
• 上用賀四丁目通信 ＫＡＭＩＹＯＵＧＡ ＮＥＷＳ: みんなで街づくり Ｖｏｌ．１ (PDF)
• 世田谷区上用賀４丁目の丘（荏原台）Setagaya Kamiyoga 4-chome of hill (Ebara viewing platform)
• 東京都世田谷区上用賀４丁目の国有財産の処理方針決定 ～都市計画公園敷地として活用～ / Processing policy decision of state-owned property of Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Kamiyoga 4-chome: Used as urban planning park site (PDF)
• 上用賀四丁目地区の街づくりについて For urban development of Kamiyoga chome district (Meeting minutes)
• 用賀エリア – 上用賀2 Yoga area – Kamiyoga 2 (Old maps)
• Setagaya Ward update
• http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/1047718.html
• https://kotobank.jp/word/衆議院速記者養成所-1335459