A Ferris Wheel on a Department-Store Roof
The Oriental Building Rooftop Ferris Wheel (オリエンタルビル屋上観覧車) is a department-store rooftop Ferris wheel of 1956 in Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 31, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a steel structure 12 metres high with 6.2 metres between its legs; registration number 23-0233.
A Steel Wheel on the Roof
The Oriental Building Rooftop Ferris Wheel was installed on the roof of a department store in Sakae, Nagoya (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Two steel frames shaped like triangular pyramids carry a steel wheel 10 metres across between them.
Nine steel 4-person cars hang from the rim of the wheel (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was supplied by a Tokyo company that specialised in amusement rides.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency describes it as one of the oldest surviving Ferris wheels and registered it as a model of design. Nagoya City also lists it among the registered cultural properties of the city as a structure of 1956.
What to Look For
Look for the two pyramid-shaped steel supports and the 10-metre wheel with nine cars hung round its rim (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Note too how this compact wheel, 12 metres high, fits on the roof of the building.
Visiting
It is owned by Oriental Building Co., Ltd. (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on access to the roof or on the operation of the wheel was found.
Q&A
- When was the Oriental Building Rooftop Ferris Wheel built?
- In 1956 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Ferris wheel?
- On the roof of a department store in Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya.
- How big is it?
- It is 12 metres high with a wheel 10 metres across and nine 4-person cars.
- Why was it registered?
- It is one of the oldest surviving Ferris wheels in Japan, according to the Agency.
- When was the Oriental Building Rooftop Ferris Wheel registered?
- On July 31, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Oriental Building Rooftop Ferris Wheel (オリエンタルビル屋上観覧車) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-5-1 Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/07/31 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Steel, 12 m high, 6.2 m between legs |
| Owner | Oriental Building Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on roof access or operation |
References
- Oriental Building Rooftop Ferris Wheel (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005764
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Nagoya (Nagoya City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.nagoya.jp/kankou/rekishi/1017268/1034462/1017208.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19