[Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture] Private Photo Plan at the Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property 'Former Ishikawa Family Residence' to Launch on 6/11.

clef. Architectural Design Office LLC (Ayauta District, Kagawa Prefecture, Representative: Kazumi Abe) will launch a one-group-per-day private photo plan, the 'Ishikawa Residence Private Photo Plan,' at the nationally registered tangible cultural property 'Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building' (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture) from June 11, 2026.

The historical space, enveloped in the light and atmosphere of the Taisho era, will be opened as a stage for family milestone photos. The mechanism of 'preserving through use,' where the revenue is returned to the preservation of the cultural property, was born from the desire of representative Abe to pass this building on to future generations.

Background: Photos that can only be taken here and the challenges facing cultural properties

A special stage for 'once-in-a-lifetime' photos

Weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies, family anniversaries — because these milestone photo sessions are 'once-in-a-lifetime,' every family seeks 'a shot that can only be taken here.' In an era where social media is deeply integrated into daily life, the location itself has become a decisive factor in the value of commemorative photos. Meanwhile, local cultural properties, while possessing rich spaces, need opportunities for use and caretakers for maintenance. In Kagawa Prefecture, the demand for photography in unique historical spaces is rising, and the Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building is an ideal stage to meet both needs.

The value created by 'only here'

In the age of social media, photos have transformed from 'things to keep' to 'things to tell a story.' The white plaster walls of Taisho architecture, the light streaming into the engawa (veranda), the garden seen through old glass — each shot possesses an atmosphere that mass-produced set backgrounds can never replicate. The context of 'having taken it at this place' itself continues to enhance the value of the photo over time.

The challenge for cultural properties: Securing maintenance funds

The maintenance and preservation of nationally registered tangible cultural properties require ongoing funding. The Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building is no exception. To pass the building on to the next generation in proper condition, stable income from active use, not just from viewing, is required. In recent years, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has also been promoting policies to encourage the use of cultural properties to generate preservation funds by enhancing their 'earning power.'

The necessity of this service lies at the intersection of these three challenges.

Life's celebratory stages photographed in Taisho architecture

The scenes covered by this plan include all of life's celebratory milestones, such as photo weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies, and family portraits. In particular, photography in traditional Japanese attire, such as white shiromuku or colorful uchikake kimono, highlights the harmony with the Taisho architecture created by the white plaster walls, the light on the engawa, and the Shochikubai (pine, bamboo, plum) oni-gawara roof tiles, producing a shot unique to this location. At the 'Former Bride Experience' event held at the same venue in February 2026, the harmony between the shiromuku/uchikake and the Taisho architecture generated a great response, and requests for 'pre-wedding photos here' led to the creation of this plan.

Many families begin considering pre-wedding photos in spring and summer, and coming-of-age ceremony commemorative photos in autumn and year-end, making the June service launch an ideal time for both demands.

As interest in experiential and location photography grows, the rarity value of 'authentic historical buildings in the local area' is increasing year by year.

Photo wedding (colorful uchikake) Coming-of-age ceremony

Photo wedding (white shiromuku) Family photo

An experience born from being operated by an architectural design office

Strength 1: Utilizing light with an eye that knows the space intimately

The white plaster walls unique to Taisho architecture, the distorted old glass fittings, the light filtering in from the engawa — these change their expression dramatically depending on the time of day and season. Because the architects at clef. know the building's 'skeleton' inside out, they can offer specific advice like 'At 10:30 today, this angle on the engawa will be perfect.'

The biggest difference from general location photography is that the light environment, produced by a professional photographer and an architect, maximizes the subject.

View from the engawa to the garden Precious glass fittings

Strength 2: The 'immersion' created by complete privacy

The plan adopts a one-group-per-day, completely private booking system. Without having to share time with other photography groups, the serene experience of immersing oneself in the Taisho-era space alone with one's family cannot be replicated in a studio or at a typical location. The '90 minutes to forget the hustle and bustle of the Reiwa era' can be seen as an experiential content piece rather than just a photography service.

Strength 3: Connecting to the next generation as a 'cultural property in use'

Representative Abe has long-held feelings for this building. It is a wish to 'pass it on to future generations, but not just to have it exist; I want it to be used.' Cultural properties are often spoken of as 'objects to be protected.' However, a building devoid of human presence, even if its form is maintained, gradually dies — this is the perspective of an architect who has felt this way. Abe believes that the 'memories of use' — a young couple standing against the white plaster wall for a pre-wedding photo, a young person in a dignified furisode or hakama for a coming-of-age ceremony — breathe life into the building and give local people a reason to think about its future as their own concern.

A portion of the usage fee will be directly allocated to the maintenance and management of the Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building. The ability to have an answer to the question 'Why did you choose this place?' that goes beyond 'Because we got good photos' — that is another value of this service.

Venue: About the Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building, a nationally registered tangible cultural property from the early Taisho period

The Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building (exterior) The Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building (engawa)

The Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building is a nationally registered tangible cultural property (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture) built in the early Taisho period. Located at a site that once overlooked the Seto Inland Sea across salt fields, it is known for its architecture that harmonizes the先进性 and traditional beauty of the time, featuring white plaster walls, large glass fittings, and oni-gawara roof tiles adorned with Shochikubai (pine, bamboo, plum) designs.

Inside, a series of connecting rooms, a tea room, and an engawa show different ways light enters with the changing seasons. Highly regarded as a cultural property building for its high degree of completion as a modern Japanese-style building, the office held a wedding culture experience event at the same building in February 2026, which was very well received.

This private photo plan is an initiative aimed at transforming the building from 'a place to visit' to 'a place to spend life's milestones.' Not just existing, but being used — this gives the building vitality and passes on interest in preservation to the next generation. The future vision of cultural properties that Representative Abe envisions begins here.

Service Overview

[Service Name] Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building Private Photo Plan

[Reservation Start] From June 11, 2026 (Thursday)

[Venue] Former Ishikawa Family Residence Main Building (Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property)

〒762-0045 3-1-7 Motomachi, Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture

[Contents] Hair and makeup, kimono dressing, and photography with exclusive use of the entire building (one day)

[Target Scenes] Photo weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies, family photos, etc.

[Capacity] One group per day (completely private)

[Application Method] ・Dedicated application form: https://forms.gle/7hvG67eDBTvv4T786

・Phone: 090-3186-2675 (Contact: Abe, Reception hours: 10:00-17:00)

[Organizer] clef. Architectural Design Office LLC

[Former Ishikawa Residence Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/ishikawatei.sakaide?igsh=YnBxdmZldDR6cmFu

Comment from Kazumi Abe, Representative of clef. Architectural Design Office LLC

'I want to pass this building on to future generations. And I don't just want it to exist; I want it to be a place that is actually used — that is the driving force behind this service.'