Vories Memorial Hall

Former home of William Merrell Vories, an American architect, evangelist, and businessman who spent most of his life in Omihachiman. He designed the two-story wooden house himself in 1931, originally planning it as a teacher's dormitory before deciding to live in it with his wife Makiko until his death in 1964. The clapboard exterior and gabled roof give it a Western appearance, but inside, Japanese-style tatami rooms sit alongside the Western-style layout. The house is now a museum with photographs and personal belongings from Vories's long career. Visits require a prior appointment.