The former summer residence of the Italian Embassy is easy to spot, with its red azaleas and wooden pier. Built on two storeys in 1928 by the American architect A Raymond, it is covered with local cedar bark in its entirety, both inside and out. Combining Japanese decoration and Western furniture, it charmed generations of Italian diplomats, who found something of the tranquillity of the shores of Lake Como in this location. The villa was retroceded to Tochigi Prefecture in 1997 and all of the rooms are now accessible to the public.