Danshaku Shiryohkan

It was just out of curiosity that we visited here. We had planned to go to only the Trappist Monastery. But near Oshima-tohbetsu station, we found a strange red building which looked like a warehouse. The guideboard simply put it as Danshaku Shiyohkan or Baron's Materials Museum. Baron Who? We decided to go there.
Danshaku Shiryohkan is located at the site of the former Baron Kawada's Farm. The museum itself is the remodeled stable built in the Taisho era(1912-1926), where you can see the American farm implements and machinery, the only wooden silo in Japan, a Locomobile's steamcar and other daily necessities the Kawadas used. Ryuhkichi Kawada(1856-1951)was born in Tosa, Shikoku, as the eldest son of Shoichiro Kawada, who is the third Governor of the Bank of Japan. Shoichiro was also a good friend of Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of the MitsubishiZaibatsu(great financial conglomerate).
Ryuhkichi studied shipbuilding technique in England and went to Hokkaido to rebuild the Hakodate Shipyard(the present Hakodate Dock). While showing his great ability as a businessman,he studied farming at his cottage/farm in Tohbetsu. Also,in Nanae(Ohnuma),he made the test cultivation of potatoes imported from England, and one breed grew well. This potato became famous as Danshaku Imo or Baron's Potato in Japan.
(translated from Machi no Fukei,Rekishi)
Rice cultivation in Oshima Peninsula had begun in 1870's, but the farmers had had hard time before they had enough harvest. So, Danshaku saved the farmers from starving. We usually eat potatoes but most people don't know Baron Kawada. I have a friendly feeling toward him.
10 minutes' walk from Oshima-tohbetsu station,JR Esashi Sen. From Hakodate, 1 hour by car.

In April, 1901, Locomobile Company of America, Agency in Japan opend an office in Yamashita-cho,Yokohama, and its showroom was established in Tokyo. This was the first car shop in Japan. It was Baron Kawada, the president of Yokohama Dockyard Company, who purchased the first imported car at this Locomobile's Agency in Japan. Baron was said to have commuted between his house in Ushigome and the office in Shinbashi,Tokyo, driving himself.
(click the picture on the right)

His Locomobile's steamcar had been missing for long, and finally was found in Oshima-tohbetsu, in 1978. It was restored to its original state by the cooperation of Baron's Materials Museum and NHK.
This is the same model as a Thompson's Locomobile S2 which was first introduced to Japan in 1900, it is said. Steamcars run burning kerosene, which would produce steam in the boiler, and start the engine. (translated from this picture)

Manufacturer	Locomobile Company of America, Bridgeport, Conn.USA
date of manufacture	1901
purchaser	Baron Ryukichi Kawada
date of purchase	September,1901
price	2,500 yen

Professor Junji Itano of Tokyo University offers some data in one of his books. He wrote that the monthly income of a turner working in ironworks or foundry was 21 yen--working for 10 to 12 hours a day, and the annual allowance for a lawmaker was 800 yen at that time.
I managed to read $650 or something as well as the logo Locomobile in the picture. If so,"1 dollar = 3.85 yen" at that time.
There were us alone in the museum and a graceful lady showed us around. It seemed that she was one of the relatives of Baron Kawada.