Phl embassy in Tokyo named nat’l historical landmark

MANILA, Philippines - The official residence of the Philippine ambassador to Japan recently became the latest addition to the national registry of Philippine historic sites and structures, with the unveiling of a historical marker at the property in Tokyo’s central Chiyoda ward.

The unveiling completes the official residence’s elevation to a “National Historical Landmark” pursuant to Resolution No. 01, Series 2013 adopted by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on March 11 last year.

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez and NHCP chairman Maria Serena Diokno presided over the ceremony.

Located within a 4,500-square meter property of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Iberian-style residence was built in 1934 by the family of the prominent businessman Baron Zenjiro Yasuda, whose descendants include the international artist Yoko Ono.

On March 31, 1944, then President Jose Laurel purchased the property for the Philippine government. In succeeding years, the Kudan – as the residence is also referred to on account of its location near the Kudanzaka hilltop – became both the official home in Tokyo of Philippine ambassadors to Japan and a central venue for the conduct of Philippine diplomacy and cultural promotion, functions it continues to vitally serve to this day.

“This is a historic and momentous occasion that honors the history and national patrimony of the Philippines,” Lopez said. “Kudan is the crown jewel of the Philippine Foreign Service, and we should preserve this important part of our diplomatic legacy and heritage.” 

The NHCP Guidelines on the Identification, Classification and Recognition of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines officially defines a National Historical Landmark as a “site or structure closely associated with a significant historical event, achievement, characteristic, turning point or stage in Philippine history.”

With the adoption of the NCHP resolution, Kudan became the first and so far the only officially-designated Philippine national historical landmark outside of the country.

In the same resolution, the NHCP “urges the national government to retain, protect and preserve the site as part of the national patrimony.”

The new historical marker complements a commemorative plaque installed by the National Historical Committee dated March 9, 1952, which highlights the history of the building and its purchase by President Laurel in 1944.