The Philippine ambassador’s official residence, and former home to musician and artist Yoko Ono, was finally unveiled as a Philippine national historical landmark on Monday. Diplomats and representatives from both the Philippines and Japan were present to attend the ceremony.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo,
Ono’s great-grandfather, founder of the prewar Yasuda zaibatsu
corporate conglomerate, used to own the property where the house stands.
It was in 1934 when the house, an Iberian design, was built by Ono’s
uncle, Iwajiro Yasuda. It was where Ono spent her childhood looking at
cherry blossoms. Former Philippine President Jose Laurel acquired the
residence for the government in 1944. While the house became a venue for
foreign affairs, Ono continued to visit to reflect on her childhood.
When a plan to demolish the residence and replace it with a new
building came about, many Filipinos opposed the idea. The National
Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) included the site in the
list of the Philippines national historical
landmarks. In fact, it is currently the country’s only national
historical landmark outside of the Philippines. The Philippine
government also called on Japan to preserve the site. Ambassador Manuel
Lopez and NHCP Chairperson Maria Serena Diokno unveiled the historical
marker set at the entrance of the house. “I’m very proud to live in this
place,” said Lopez. Ono called the ceremony as a “symbol of friendship
between two countries” in a video sent to the ambassador on behalf of
the Yasuda family.
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