APPRENTICES

Makoto Minami     1892 - 1951

Makoto Minami, a specialist in structural engineering, worked on the Imperial Hotel project, but not directly with Wright. Following Wright's return to America in 1922 and the hotel's axing of construction staff to save funds, Minami joined forces with Arata Endo. While Arata was still overseeing completion of the Imperial, Minami moved to Ashiya, in western Japan, and began construction on the Wright-designed Tazaemon Yamamura House.