This 1908 building is one of the oldest surviving structures in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, built when the city was the Japanese town of Toyohara. It originally served as the residence of the commander of the Karafuto Guard Units.
The building has had several later lives, including a period as a museum of the Japanese era. It is again used by the military, so the visit is an exterior look from Dzerzhinsky or Sakhalin street rather than a tour inside.