Pierson Memorial Museum

This Western-style house was built in 1914 as the private residence of the American missionary couple, the Piersons. It was designed by William Merrell Vories, known as a pioneer of Western architecture in Japan. Standing on a hill in Kitami, this two-story wooden building is the northernmost among the approximately 1,600 buildings he designed in Japan.

The couple lived here for 15 years and worked not only on missionary activities, but also on social reform, including promoting girls’ education and supporting the Ainu people. The memorial museum opened in 1971 and was selected as a Hokkaido Heritage site in 2001. Inside, you can see the reed organ, furniture, photographs, and other items used by the couple, offering a glimpse into their life and work at the time.

On the second floor, materials related to Elizabeth, New Jersey, the city’s sister city in the United States, are also on display. Admission is free, and visitors can tour the museum using audio guides in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.