Etymology

emmaandmike

Hi everyone,

Does anybody know anything about Japan Crescent, and Japan House in particular? We would really like to know how the house is linked with Japan - from looking at the recent 1870s map posted it looks very much like the house came before the Crescent.

I found some interesting stuff here re property's occupants - http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,378982.0.html - but nothing about the name.

Any comments gratefully received. Any comments on names of other streets / buildings in the area would also be interesting.

tosscat

[yawn](http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,378982.0.html)

krappyrubsnif

Japan House was demolished and built over. There's a whole lot about it in the files of Hornsey Historical Society and some of their local history publications. I don't think they have quite caught up with putting things on line which is why you won't find much by Googling it. You will have to go down there (Crouch End) and ask someone and then they will dig out all kinds of stuff.

Philistine'sMonster

Interesting. Know very little about Japan house, except that it owned a lot of the land in the area. However, I do believe that some of the streets around the fullback were named after the works of Scottish book writer-er, Sir Walter Scott.

Ali

The FF was and I guess Perth is in Scotland

Philistine'sMonster

Fair Maid of Perth, apparently.

krappyrubsnif

I know about the Benjamin Disraeli road names in the area (Endymion, also I think Victoria and Florence). What other than Perth are the Walter Scott ones then?

Philistine'sMonster

Woodstock is one of his books, too. Never read it. And I can't be arsed Reading the rest of his stuff on the offchance a local cul-de-sac is named after it. You can, though. Cheers.

Mirandola

My partner was surprised the local estate agents hadn't taken to calling that bit of town 'Disraeli Village' or perhaps 'Dizville'.

Scottsdeen? Walterville?

wisteria53

I'm sure I read somewhere that it was the home of the first Japanese ambassador to London.

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Arkady

@wisteria53 I have contacted the Japanese embassy to see if they can corroborate that, and they have agreed to look into it and get back to me. In exchange we may have to host a Japanese cultural event...

miss annie

Sushi and Geisha costumes.... hooray!

sincers

Excellent!

Arkady

Following a number of calls and emails from a lovely lady called Sekiguchi, I have been asked to supply them with more info to assist her in her research. I should probably just arrange to go to Hornsey Historical society, but in the meantime I provided her with the specific location, the earliest map I could find specifically showing Japan House (1862) and the latest (1878). Curiously, 1862 was the date of the first Japanese embassy to Europe, and they did come to London (though I haven't found evidence that anyone remained here after their one-year trip). Curiously, I haven't found anything that says that Japan House was actually demolished. Japan Crescent runs through its grounds rather than through the site of the house itself. And Google Maps shows a building behind the crescent which looks like it in the same location to me. We know there was someone living their in 1891 too - after the Crescent was built surely? I'll have a peak on the way to the pub later. If anyone can correct me or add to this... In the meantime I'll crack on with my geisha costume. A

Arkady

It's on the 1896 map too, and so is Japan House, after the Crescent was built.

Philistine'sMonster

I'm led to believe that 1735 is the earliest map showing Japan House and its grounds: Hornsey Historical Society.

Arkady

Latest message from the embassy: "In our diplomatic dictionary refers to the fact that there was a first Diplomat called Sameshima was sent to England on 1870. But no record of address. Unfortunately in our office, the record on that period was not exist. I shall write to Tokyo to obtain some relevant information on this matter.. Regards, Sekiguchi JICC Librarian" Brillant!

Philistine'sMonster

 Interestimg. My understanding is that the "Japan House" on Japan Crescent isn't the original Japan House listed on 18th Century maps. It just borrows the name and is, like the Crescent and surrounding buildings, situated in what used to be a large estate belonging to the eponymous pile... I've probably got this all arse-about-tit, so forgive me if I'm misleading you. I'm not an expert. 

I suppose it would be a nice coincidence if a Japanese diplomat resided at some point in the modern villa, but what with the Sakoku policy running up until the mid-19th Century I doubt (if I may be presumptuous) there's an embassy connection before this. I wonder if it was just an exotic name for a grand house of the time? I expect there's more info at the HHS. 

Thomas

I would agree with Philistine that Japan House probably borrows its name from the road name - a bit like 'Charteris House' half way down Charteris Road (I presume!)

Arkady

The building that can be seen on Google maps, which seems to be in the exact position of the original Japan House, is the Langdon motors building. They have a gate up, but the corrugated iron roof doesn’t give me much hope that any of the original structure is left.

krappyrubsnif

Back in the days (1860s or so) Japan and all things Japanese were deeply trendy in Europe. My art teacher taught me that. I think it was a fad that lasted a couple of decades. Probably Japan House was just a fashionable name? Vincent Van Gogh was crazy about Japan. Whoever built Japan House was probably just a crazy mixed up trendy rich aesthete.

Arkady

The embassy called back. In 1874 the ambassador lived in 9 Kensington Gardens, in 1880 it was Cavendish Square. Records prior to that were incinerated during the war or carried off by the allies, apparently.