A Brick and Granite Bank on the Old Tokaido
The Okazaki Shinkin Bank Museum (former Okazaki Bank Head Office) (岡崎信用金庫資料館（旧岡崎銀行本店）) is the former head office of the Okazaki Bank, built in 1917 on the old Tokaido road in Tenmadori, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 7, 2008, under registration number 23-0283.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as reinforced concrete, two storeys with part three, with a slate roof and a building area of 302 square metres, renovated in 1950, 1959 and 1982. According to Okazaki Shinkin Bank, it was designed by Suzuki Teiji, a leading figure in modern Japanese architecture.
Why It Was Registered
The building was registered in 2008 as a model of design. According to the Agency, it stands on a corner of the old Tokaido, its rhythmic exterior, including a tower, composed of granite and brick. Based on the Renaissance style, it mixes in the geometric ornament fashionable at the time, giving it a varied character.
Okazaki Shinkin Bank explains that the Okazaki Bank, founded in 1890, commissioned Suzuki Teiji, the area's foremost modern architect. After the war the Okazaki Chamber of Commerce repaired it for use as its hall; facing demolition, it was bought by Okazaki Shinkin Bank in 1977 and opened as a museum in 1982. It embodies the history of local finance and commerce.
What to Look For
Outside, look at the walls combining red brick with local granite and at the tower on the corner. Geometric ornament is scattered through the Renaissance composition (Agency for Cultural Affairs and Okazaki Shinkin Bank).
Inside, the ground floor hosts changing exhibitions, and the upper floor displays Japanese and world currency and a reconstruction of an Edo-period money changer's shop (Okazaki Shinkin Bank). The museum reopened in April 2021 after about two years of seismic isolation work.
Visiting the Museum
According to Okazaki Shinkin Bank, the museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.) and closed on Mondays (or the next weekday when Monday is a holiday) and from December 31 to January 3. Admission is free.
It is about 10 minutes on foot from Higashi-Okazaki Station on the Meitetsu Main Line, or 2 minutes from the Kagodakoen-mae stop on Meitetsu buses. The address is 1-58 Tenmadori, Okazaki City (0564-24-2367).
Q&A
- When was the building constructed?
- In 1917, as the head office of the Okazaki Bank.
- When was it registered as a cultural property?
- On March 7, 2008, as registration number 23-0283.
- Who designed it?
- Suzuki Teiji, a leading figure in modern Japanese architecture.
- What does the exterior look like?
- Red brick and local granite in a rhythmic composition with a tower, Renaissance in style with geometric ornament.
- What are the opening hours and admission?
- 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), closed Mondays; admission is free.
Basic Information
| Name | Okazaki Shinkin Bank Museum (former Okazaki Bank Head Office) (岡崎信用金庫資料館（旧岡崎銀行本店）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-58 Tenmadori, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/3/7 (Heisei 20), registration no. 23-0283 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys with part 3, slate roof, building area 302 square metres |
| Owner | Okazaki Shinkin Bank |
| Public Access | Open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Mondays (free) |
References
- 岡崎信用金庫資料館（旧岡崎銀行本店） (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006856
- Okazaki Shinkin Bank Museum (Okazaki Shinkin Bank)
- https://www.okashin.co.jp/local/museum/
Last verified: 2026.10.05