The Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building
The Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building (旧小坂鉱山病院記念棟) is the mortuary of the former Kosaka Mine Hospital, built in 1908 in Kosaka Town, Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 1, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a small single-storey timber building with a copper roof and a building area of 20 square metres; registration number 05-0093. It stands at 48-2 Furudate, the same lot as the Kosaka Mine Office.
The One Building the Fire Spared
Kosaka Town says the Kosaka Mine Hospital opened as the largest general hospital in the prefecture, and its exterior was said to be as graceful as the mine office. The hospital burned in 1949, and the Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building is the only part left in its original form.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building has its entrance in the middle of the west front. Inside is a mortuary room 2 ken (about 3.6 metres) square, with a 3-mat Japanese room and an earth-floored entry to its north (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
A porch with a pediment shelters the door, and each sash window has its own finely moulded hood. The Agency registered it as a model of design, noting how elegantly so small a building is finished.
What to Look For
At the Kosaka Mine hospital building, look at the triangular pediment over the porch and the moulded hoods above the windows. That such care went into a building of 20 square metres says much about what the mine invested in its hospital.
Behind the Western front, the mortuary room is joined on its north side by an earth-floored entry and a 3-mat Japanese room, so the plan pairs Western and Japanese rooms (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building
No official information was found on opening the interior of the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building. Kosaka Town lists it among the sights of Meiji Hyakunen-dori.
It is easy to combine a look at the exterior with a visit to the Kosaka Mine Office on the same lot during its opening hours. Directions to the town are on the Former Kosaka Mine page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building built and registered?
- It was built in 1908 and registered on July 1, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building used for?
- It was the hospital's mortuary, with a mortuary room and a 3-mat Japanese room (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What happened to the rest of the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital?
- Kosaka Town says the hospital burned in 1949; only this building survives in its original form.
- What should I look for at the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building?
- The pedimented entrance porch and the delicate moulded hoods over the sash windows (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside the Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building?
- No official information on interior access was found.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building (旧小坂鉱山病院記念棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 48-2 Furudate, Kosaka Kozan, Kosaka Town, Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/07/01 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 1 storey, copper roof, building area 20 m² |
| Owner | Kosaka Town |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access |
References
- Former Kosaka Mine Hospital Memorial Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003346
- Meiji Hyakunen-dori, the mining town streetscape (Kosaka Town, Japanese)
- https://www.town.kosaka.akita.jp/machinososhiki/kankosangyoka/kankoshokohan/3/kosakakankouspot/1661.html
Last verified: 2026.11.08
