Four Joined Japanese-style Residence Four-joined Japanese Style Residence is a well-preserved and complete Japanese dormitory in Jinguashi area. It is presumed to have been built in the 1930s by Nikko Mining Company, the operator of the mine at that time, as a residence for Japanese employees and their families. After World War II, it was turned into a dormitory for the employees of Taiwan Metal Mining Corporation.
The four buildings are connected to each other. Each one has its own entrance, living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, etc. There are also small gardens in the front and back. The dormitories have been constructed in accordance with the height difference of the sloping land, clearly and orderly. The retaining walls made of herringbone stones at the foundation of the dormitory area, plus the red bricks on the outer walls and the black tiles on the roof, have formed a unique landscape feature of the mountain town Jinguashi.
After the site was designated as an exhibition space, the interior of the dormitory was restored in a nostalgic style from the time of Japanese company and Taiwan Metal Mining Corporation. The interior of the house was decorated to create a home-like atmosphere, providing visitors with an immersive and realistic feeling.
In 2021, the exhibition "Songs of Everyday: The Sound Reproduction Exhibition of the Four joined Japanese-Style Residence" was held in collaboration with artist Chen Yu-rong, using "sound" as a medium to connect history and open up another way besides visualization to understand Jinguashi’s history. At the same time, three local residents Qiu Hui-wen, Wu Chao-tan and Huang Zhong-chen, were invited to help recall the past life of Jinguashi. The artist then transformed the content of the oral interviews into sound art; through 10 sets of sound installations, he recreated the residents' life in the dormitories. While walking through the different spaces of the Four Joined Japanese-Style Residence, visitors will hear the sounds of peddlers’ hawking in the street, stir-frying in the kitchen, and chess playing in the living room, all of which are interwoven into the daily song of the mining town, bringing visitors a journey through old time that satisfies their senses.
Also available as an online tour:https://reurl.cc/NZjbvn