The measure of a warehouse
Fourth from the north stands the Crafts Experience Hall of the University Open Center. Its plainness is the story. Like each shed in the row it measures roughly 45 meters along the ridge by about 15 meters across, a single-story timber box finished in mortar (mortar-nuri) with a gabled roof entered from the gable end (tsumairi).
A raised monitor roof, the koshi-yane, runs along the ridge for ventilation, a detail every shed shares.
Built for grain, and for the railway
The design answers a working brief. On the west face a canopy shelters the entrance; on the east face a continuous eave once formed the platform of a rail spur, where rice moved out by the wagon-load.
The eight sheds together were said to hold close to a third of Akita Prefecture's annual rice consumption. The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the group in 2000 for its place in the historic landscape, under the registered category rather than as an Important Cultural Property.
From loading dock to hands-on hall
Today the shed hosts the open center's crafts-experience programs, where visitors try making by hand. The long east platform that once received grain wagons now marks the public face of the building.
A structure like this changed its work without changing its shape. The old logistics are still legible in the architecture, which is much of the pleasure of walking its length.
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Q&A
- What are the dimensions of the warehouse?
- Each shed measures about 45 meters by 15 meters as a single-story timber structure, giving a footprint of roughly 660 square meters.
- What is the east-side eave for?
- It once served as the platform for a rail spur that carried rice out by wagon; the continuous eave sheltered the loading edge.
- What is koshi-yane?
- A koshi-yane is a raised monitor along the ridge that admits air and light. Here it ventilated the grain store.
- What happens in the building today?
- It houses hands-on crafts-experience programs run by the university's open center for the public.
Basic Information
| Name | Crafts Experience Hall, University Open Center |
|---|---|
| Location | 12-3 Shinya-Okawamachi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) |
| Registered | 26 September 2000 (25th registration round) |
| Registration No. | 05-0060 |
| Count | One building (ittō) |
| Date | 1934 (Showa 9) |
| Structure | Single-story timber, sheet-iron roof; footprint approx. 660 sq m |
| Criterion | Contributing to the nation's historic landscape |
| Owner | Akita University of Art (public university corporation) |
| Access | In use as campus facilities; enquire with the university about visits |
References
- 国指定文化財等データベース — 秋田公立美術工芸短期大学大学開放センター工芸体験棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001827
- 秋田公立美術大学 公式サイト
- https://www.akibi.ac.jp/
Last verified: 2026.07.08