Perched atop a natural ridge, this massive colonial estate was built in 1927 by Max Hinder, a well known Swiss architect in Japan who, after moving to Yokohama from Sapporo, desired a dwelling that suited his exacting tastes.

When standing in the backyard, surrounded by lush greenery and manicured lawns, you can understand why Hinder had chosen this plot to build his home.  

Above you is the vast expanse of the sky, a seawater tinged breeze constantly flows from the west off the bay, and the land slopes down from the back property line giving unobstructed views across the valley; views that thanks to strict building codes will remain unchanged long into the future. 

Standing on the balcony, you can see across the valley and out to Yokohama bay.  On a clear day, you can see all the way to Miura Harbour.

“We never knew anything about Hinder when my parents bought the property,” said the seller as we were standing on the lawn.  “It was only when my sisters and I were playing in the attic when we found his name on the stone counterweights used to open the original first floor windows when we discovered his involvement with the property.”

While the house was originally built in 1927, the current structure had been renovated to the seller’s needs in the 1970’s, with yearly maintenance diligently performed to present day.  

Main Estate:

• Price - JPY 467,000,000
• Land Size in SQM - 2,086 m²
• Building Size - 406 m²

“This was a magical place to grow up." the seller said.  "When we were young, my parents did a lot of entertaining.  On the west side of the lawn there was a stage set up for a live band and all the attendees wore formal attire; the men in tuxedos and the ladies in evening gowns.  It was like a fairy tale playing right before us, several times a year”

The historic Yokohama Country & Athletic Club, only 10 mins away on foot and an integral part of making lifelong friends in the community.  Click here for reciprocal club access worldwide.

The current house is southern oriented with deciduous trees lining the back property line, allowing for green views in the summer and clear views out in the winter when the leaves fall.  

The trees lining the east are camellia and mikan trees and the west side of the property is bamboo lined; both sides keep their leaves all year round protecting privacy from those aspects. 

“In front of the bamboo, there is an old western cherry tree that bears fruit the birds love so bird watching has been one of the things we liked to do while living here.”

Reminiscing about the cherry tree, the seller explained “The cherry tree is beautifully pink in the spring, shedding the petals to shower across the stone patio making it magazine-pretty every year.” 

At the top of the stone stairs looking at the second tier lawn towards the cherry tree (photo taken in winter).

Beyond the property used to be an US military base, but those grounds had been given back to the City of Yokohama that in turn made the land into a public park. 

Closer perspective of house from first tier lawn.  Note the stone staris peeking out from behind the foliage in the lower left.

Turning away from the valley, looking back towards the house, it’s raised profile together with the prominent stone laid, ornate white railed balcony and swooping roof accents, the historical sense of this property is tangible.

“It is so quiet at night here.” the seller said with a reminiscent smile.

From the lawn, up a set of stone laid stars, you are presented with a choice; go left onto the stone patio and into the large dining room or right onto the expansive balcony.

Dining room looking towards door that leads outside to the patio.

The parquet floor and the copper fireplace in the drawing room as well as the lanterns that are dotted throughout the living and dining areas are all original from Hinder’s time.  “When my parents bought the property, the original entrance was carpeted and we wanted the parquet to flow from the drawing room into the entrance, so this flooring was our renovation but the drawing room is original.”

Drawing room looking towards the door leading to the balcony.

Regardless of which way you proceed, you will be accompanied by ample amounts of natural light well into the structure.  “During the day, you don’t need to turn any lights on thanks to the height of the property and the windows allowing the light to reach to the furthest recesses of the structure.” explains the seller.

Indeed the house is bright.  The seller opened the windows once we were inside and immediately the breeze started moving the air around, bringing in fresh air with each gust.

“This air flow is something you could never get in Tokyo.”  the seller said.  “In the warm seasons, we open the windows and this breeze keeps it cool to the point where we don’t use the air conditioning much.  In the winter, the natural light keeps the interior warm thanks to the double paned windows my parents upgraded and the thick insulation that Hinder had built in.”

Reflecting on the point, it makes sense.  With Tokyo so built up, the only way to get the same breezy access is to be at least 20 stories up and building codes often prevent large windows from opening at all for safety reasons. 

“The price we are asking for this property would only get you a reasonably sized condo in Tokyo with common areas that still wouldn’t provide the space, views, and air flow we have here.” the seller pointed out.  

Haneda airport access to this property is simpler and faster than most of central Tokyo as well.  "When I needed to pick someone up from Haneda, I would wait here at home until that person called after the plane landed." the seller said.  "Only then would I get in the car and head to the airport, usually arriving very close to when that person got their luggage and cleared customs."

Living room looking towards the drawing room, highlighting the parquet flooring.

Despite the age, the building has been well maintained and upgraded over the years.  Thanks to the building sitting on top of 2,086 square metres of land, there was ample space to create additions, like the current guest house and maids quarters, both part of the main structure though with their own entrances and privacy. 

“We recognise the structure is old which is why we wish to sell the property for the land value only; a buyer would get a free building essentially at this price.”

It is a good deal.  Land this large anywhere in the City of Yokohama is impossible to find.  “We have had developers come by and make good offers for the land to be used for new condos but so far we have refused.” the seller explained.  “Next to our property, a new condo complex was built on land that used to house a property similar to ours."

Disliking the outcome of that next door property is what has prevented this seller from taking developers up on their offers. 

“We would rather sell to someone who would appreciate the expansiveness, serenity and access to high quality lifestyle this property provides, instead of to a developer who wants to maximise their profit by cramming in as many shoebox units as they can.” said the seller.

“This is the house I grew up in and my parent’s original idea was to keep the property in the family as a generational home, passed down to us kids and then their grandkids thereafter.  As the years passed it simply hadn’t turned out that way; the kids are all living overseas so…” the seller explained, trailing off in thought at the end with a small smile. 

“At first selling the property was really hard to think about but the thing is, none of the kids can actually live in it.  We are looking for a family to buy the property and have the same experiences we did because growing up here was simply awesome and I thank my parents for that everyday.”

The area is ideal for raising a young family.  Within a 5 minute car ride are two international schools; Saint Maur International School and the Yokohama International School. 

In the case of the Yokohama International School, a sparkling new campus is finishing construction on October 1st, 2021 to be ready to accept students from January 12th, 2022.  

The new campus boasts 50 percent more space compared to the previous one, full outdoor athletic facilities, an indoor swimming pool and a double gymnasium.  The new campus was designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2021 and the initiative was project managed by Jones Lang LaSalle.

See bottom of article for this property’s distance to places mentioned in this video tour plus many other locations of interest.

There is an additional plot of land owned by the seller on offer in addition to this property.  Valuation for this plot is the same as the main estate in that only the land value is priced with the structure for free.  

As cars became larger and larger, the road access to Hinder’s house became tighter and tighter so the seller’s family purchased an adjacent plot of land along the larger Gasuyama Street with the intention of tearing down the existing structure and building a larger, more easily accessible driveway than there is currently. 

Adjacent Plot:

• Price - JPY 129,000,000
• Land Size in SQM - 498 m²
• Building Size - 291 m²

However, at present, the plot remains as it was when purchased.  Should a buyer wish to purchase both Hinder’s plot and the adjacent plot together, a package sale can be discussed. 

Nowhere else in the Greater Tokyo Area will you find plots of land this large, this centrally located, with this easy access to Tokyo.  

If you are looking to own in Japan with enough land to build a dream home and have ample space left over for landscaped gardens like you find in Europe or North America, you’ll find no better land to do so with. 

I urge you to inquire at your earliest convenience as this property will get snapped up, leaving those who hesitate to reminisce about the one that got away.

For a 3D virtual tour of the house, please inquire below.

Google Maps Measured Locations of Interest:

Yokohama Country & Athletic Club - 10 mins on foot 

Haneda Airport - 24 mins by car

Yokohama International School (new campus) - 5 mins by car 

Saint Maur International School - 5 mins by car

Sankei-en Garden - 8 mins by car

Costco Kanazawa Seaside - 22 mins by car

Yokohama Stadium - 9 mins by car

Nissan Stadium - 25 mins by car

Motomachi Chukagai (Chinatown) - 9 mins by car

Yokohama Landmark Tower & Minato Mirai Area - 16 mins by car