Wright and Japan(PART 2 OF 3)
Karuizawa Taliesin
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This person knew Frank Wright quite well, didn't he?
You're telling me, Diane.
So, Frank went to Japan, didn't he?
Yes, he did.
What did he do over there? Did he meet another Madame Taliesin by any chance?
Well..., Frank met some beautiful Japanese women, for sure, but he was invited by an old friend of his to build the prestigious Imperial Hotel.
Imperial Hotel in Meiji Village
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Meiji Village Museum
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I thought that Imperial Hotel was in Tokyo.
Yes, it still is. Since the new hotel building was built, the part of the old building Frank Wright had designed was moved to Meiji Village, which is an open-air architectural museum/theme park in Inuyama, near Nagoya in Aichi prefecture. It was opened on March 18, 1965. The museum preserves historic buildings from Japan's Meiji (1867-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), and early Shōwa (1926-1989) periods. Over 60 historical buildings have been moved and reconstructed onto one square kilometre (250 acres) of rolling hills alongside Lake Iruka. The most noteworthy building there is the reconstructed main entrance and lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark Imperial Hotel, which originally stood in Tokyo from 1923 to 1967, when the main structure was demolished to make way for a new, larger version of the hotel.
I'm not particularly interested in the old hotel building. I'd rather hear about some Japanese women Frank met in Japan.
So, you're interested in his sizzling love affairs with some Japanese women, aren't you?
Yes, I'm all ears for romance.
You're probably expecting something like a story about Yuki Morgan, aren't you?
Who is Yuki Morgan?
Yuki Morgan
Born in Kyoto as Yuki Kato (1881-1963), she was the daughter of a honorable samuri family, but one that was on the wane in the latter part of the 19th century.
Yuki and her sister were both sold to a certain geisha-house to help support the family.
By the time Yuki began her geisha training, her sister was already well-established in the business.
With her assistance Yuki became a popular Gion geisha.
This was how she met George Dennison Morgan, second son of George Hale Morgan and Sarah Spencer Morgan, builders of Ventfort Hall.
He pursued her for years before she agreed to marry him in 1903.
During her lifetime, Yuki never visited Ventfort Hall.
The Morgan family did not approve of their son's interracial marriage and gave Yuki the cold shoulder from the start, making the early days of her marriage in American a misery.
Yuki was a notorious woman during her long life, especially in her native Japan where novels and a musical play were written about her scandals.
Her life was constant tabloid fodder.
Yuki lost her citizenship when she married Morgan.
Shunned in both Japan and America, the couple found a happy home in France, although they lived the jet-set lifestyle long before the jet was invented and were frequently separated by travel.
Morgan was alone in Spain when he died of a heart attack in 1915.
Yuki became a woman without a country with many financial and legal battles ahead of her.
Yuki stayed in France until 1938 when she returned to Japan.
After Morgan's death she had converted to Catholicism and was baptized at the age of 73, taking the Christian name of Theresa in honor of her favorite Saint.
Yuki spent her remaining years as a devout Catholic in Kyoto's Murasakino.
So, you are saying, Frank Wright also found a nice geisha girl in Kyoto, aren't you?
Yes, of course, he did.
Did he secretly marry her?
Oh, no...he was fed up with the scandal at the time, and got himself busy in designing Imperial Hotel. No time for geisha girls, although he enjoyed geisha parties once in a while.
By the way, Kato, Yuki's family name is the same as your first name, isn't it?
Yes and no. Actually, her family name and mine are the same, pronounced in Japan as "Kaato." My first name, Kato, has been adopted here in Canada after the famous Green Hornet character. My full name is Kato Akira Kaato.
I see...I wonder if your family and Yuki's family are related.
Yes, indeed, our family is related to hers. My grandma once told me about the story of my ancestors, who had origiginally come from Paekche （百済）---part the the ancient Korea.
From part of the ancient Korea?...no kidding!
Once upon a time---in 663 to be exact---there happened the Battle of Baekgang-gu (白村江), which was fought between Baekche （百済） restoration forces and their ally, Yamato Japan, against the allied forces of Silla （新羅） and the Tang （唐） Dynasty of ancient China. The battle took place in the lower reaches of the Geum River in Jeollabuk-do province, Korea. The Silla （新羅） - Tang （唐） forces won a decisive victory, forced Yamato Japan to withdraw completely from Korean affairs and crushed the Baekche restoration movement.
Are you serious about this, Kato?
Yes, of course, I am.
You're telling me about the 7th-centry battle in the Far East, aren't you?
Yes, I am. My ancestor was one of the guards for the imperial palace in Baekche （百済）. Since the battle was lost, he and his family fled to Japan, and later setteled in Nara---the ancient capital of Japan. One of the family was married into the Kato clan in Kyoto. Yuki's family and my family had descended from this branch. Yuki's family had remained in Kyoto while my ancestoral family had moved toward the present Tokyo some hundred years later, and eventually settled in Gyoda---my home town.
Interesting! ... But do you really want me to belive all this?
Well... I wrote this story in Japanese quite a while ago. If you're interested in, please translate the following article using the Google translator and read it.
■"Kato's ancestors came from Baekche"
（デンマンの祖先は百済からやって来た）
(To be followed)