A Stone Telephone Exchange Moved to Meiji Mura
The Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building (旧札幌電話交換局舎, Sapporo Denwa Kokankyokusha) is a two-storey stone telephone exchange built in Sapporo in 1898 and now re-erected at the Museum Meiji Mura in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture, which in 1968 was designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a stone building of two storeys with a pantiled roof and a building area of 131.7 square metres. It belongs to the Meiji Mura Foundation.
From Sapporo to Inuyama
According to the Agency, the exchange was completed in 1898 and extended in 1910. It later served as the Sapporo Central Post Office, and when a new central post office was completed it was sold into private hands.
In 1962 it was donated to Meiji Mura, where it was rebuilt to its original 1898 size; the reconstruction was completed in 1965. The 1910 extension was left off in the process.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values the Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange for its fine design as a stone building and as a pioneering work of Meiji-era Western architecture in Hokkaido.
It records how the new medium of the telephone was given a solid stone base in Sapporo in the Meiji era, and its history includes the unusual step of moving a Sapporo building at its original size to an open-air museum on Honshu.
What to Look For
Outside, look at the stone walls of the two storeys and the tiled roof above. Because it was returned to its original 1898 size, it shows how large Sapporo's telephone exchange was when it opened.
Meiji Mura says the building houses a permanent exhibition on the history and workings of the telephone. In demonstrations, visitors can handle Meiji-era telephones and switchboards and try the roles of operator, caller and receiver.
Visiting the Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building
The Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building stands inside the Museum Meiji Mura. According to the museum, it opens from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April to July and in September and October, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in August, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in November (to 5:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays), 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from December to February, and 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in March, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. There are closing days, so check the calendar.
Admission, revised in April 2024, is 2,500 yen for adults, 1,500 yen for high school students and 700 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Buses run to Meiji Mura from the east exit of Meitetsu Inuyama Station, with direct buses from Nagoya Station and Sakae. The museum is at 1 Uchiyama, Inuyama; telephone 0568-67-0314.
Q&A
- When was the Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building built?
- It was completed in Sapporo in 1898 and rebuilt at Meiji Mura in 1965.
- Where is the Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building now?
- At the Museum Meiji Mura in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture.
- What can I see inside the Sapporo Telephone Exchange at Meiji Mura?
- A permanent exhibition on the telephone, with demonstrations using Meiji-era telephones and switchboards.
- How much is admission to Meiji Mura?
- 2,500 yen for adults, 1,500 yen for high school students and 700 yen for elementary and junior high school students (revised April 2024).
- When was the Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building designated?
- It was designated an Important Cultural Property on 25 April 1968.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building (旧札幌電話交換局舎) |
|---|---|
| Location | Museum Meiji Mura, 1 Uchiyama, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1968/4/25 (Showa 43) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Stone, two storeys, pantiled roof, building area 131.7 square metres |
| Owner | Meiji Mura Foundation |
| Public Access | Open within Meiji Mura; admission adults 2,500 yen |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1249
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Sapporo Telephone Exchange Building (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/144948
- Museum Meiji Mura: Opening Hours (Japanese)
- https://www.meijimura.com/guide/open/
- Museum Meiji Mura: Admission Revision (Japanese)
- https://www.meijimura.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/9f121a8688611586c5b969a1a2214a05.pdf
- Museum Meiji Mura: Access (Japanese)
- https://www.meijimura.com/guide/access/
- Museum Meiji Mura: Telephone Exhibition (Japanese)
- https://www.meijimura.com/sight/%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AA%E3%81%92%E3%82%8B%E3%80%8C%E3%81%93%E3%81%88%E3%80%8D%E3%80%81%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8C%E3%82%8B%E3%80%8C%E3%81%8D%E3%81%8A%E3%81%8F%E3%80%8D/
Last verified: 2026.09.27