Chofu Mori Residence was built in 1903 by Mori Motohidari, 14th head of the Chofu Mori branch family. It once hosted Emperor Meiji on his Sanyo tour. The elegant shoin-style buildings and stroll garden preserve the refined atmosphere of a samurai estate in the Chofu castle town.

The Chofu Mori family served as lords of the Chofu domain, a branch han of the Choshu domain, established after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. The first lord was Mori Hidemoto, a nephew of Mori Terumoto. The domain came to an end with the abolition of feudal domains in 1871, and the Mori family e…