William Merrell Vories

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William Merrell Vories (October 28, 1880 - May 7, 1964) was an architect born in the U.S. who worked mainly in Shiga in Japan. He was also one of the founders of "ヴォーリズ合名会社" (later "近江兄弟社") widely selling Mentholatum in Japan.

Later Vories married a Japanese woman 一柳満喜子 and became a naturalized citizen of Japan with the name of Hitotsuyanagi (一柳). [1]

He was born in Kansas in 1880, graduated from Colorado College in 1904. At first he hoped to be an architect, though he came to Japan in 1905 as an English teacher with an intention to engage in mission work among the Japanese. In 1908, aked to inspect the construction of Kyoto YMCA office building, he founded an architect's office (later "W.M.Vories & Company Architects Ichiryusha").[2] Through YMCA activities in Japan he got acquainted with many American and Japanese people and built houses, churches, schools, hospitals, YMCAs and more on their requests.

He also founded a drug company selling Mentholatum (later Mentum) to earn fund for his mission work.

He also loved music, making carols and introducing the Hammond Organ into Japan.

Kwansei Gakuin University

Murotani house

a church in Osaka

Vories memorial house

[edit] References

  1. ^ Colorado College Tutt Library: Special Collections
  2. ^ 会社のご案内 − 歴史年表 | 一粒社ヴォーリズ建築事務所

[edit] Books

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  • "ヴォーリズの建築―ミッション・ユートピアと都市の華" 山形 政昭 1989 ISBN 4422501232
  • "ヴォーリズの西洋館―日本近代住宅の先駆" 山形 政昭 2002 ISBN 4473018903
  • "ウィリアム・メレル・ヴォーリズ―写真集 日本人を越えたニホン人" 山田プランニング 1998 ISBN 4939022994
  • "ヴォーリズ建築の100年―恵みの居場所をつくる" 2008 ISBN 4422501240
  • "ヴォーリズ評伝―日本で隣人愛を実践したアメリカ人" 奥村直彦 2005 ISBN 4880083321
  • "青い目の近江商人メレル・ヴォーリズ―創業者精神「信仰と商売の両立の実践」を受け継いで" 岩原 侑 1997 ISBN 4887370458
  • "青い目の近江商人ヴォーリズ外伝―「信仰と事業の両立」を果たした師ゆかりの地を歩いて" 岩原 侑 2002 ISBN 483553879X

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